A Place To Stay
by darkpartofmydestiny
Summary: When Sarah takes a new job at a seedy bar in New York, she finds herself drawn to the cute English bartender. He seems great, but there's something a little familiar about him, and all isn't as it seems. Warnings for language and adult content. In progress.
1. Chapter 1

Sarah looked at her watch; she was ten minutes early. The door to the bar, Smileys, was locked and she tapped on the glass. The door was unlocked, and a young woman poked her head round. She looked at Sarah and broke out in a smile.

"You must be Sarah, Nikki's friend? I'm Alice, we spoke on the phone?"

"Yeah, nice to meet you. Thanks so much for calling." Sarah said, shaking her hand. The girl smiled at her; she looked nice enough, short with short spiked red hair and an earful of piercings. This place was kind of a dive, but Sarah was desperate for money and any work she could get was gratefully accepted.

"Thanks for accepting at such short notice. We were going crazy trying to find someone; what are the chances of three people who work in the same place winning the lottery all in one go? Insane right?"

"I know." Sarah said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, it's my lucky day anyway."

"If you do well tonight, there's a permanent job here for you if you want it. So, you've worked in a bar before right?"

"Um, a couple of restaurants but it can't be much different right?" Sarah asked, frowning. Alice laughed, and Sarah wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign.

"You'll be fine." Alice told her dismissively. "Right, so this place gets pretty busy on a Saturday night so you'll need to be quick. You'll be serving drinks for a while then clearing tables. That sound okay?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Great. So there's a uniform for you in the back, go put it on while it's quiet."

"A uniform?" In the other places Sarah had worked, she could just wear her own clothes so long as they were dark.

"Nothing too bad, just a skirt and a shirt. You're wearing a bra, right?" Alice asked, looking down at Sarah's chest. Sarah looked down too, then nodded.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Good, the shirt can get a little see through under the lights." Alice laughed. "It helps with the tips."

"You're making me feel real confident." Sarah said uncomfortably, and Alice smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry, it'll be great. The guys who work here are all pretty nice, couple of other girls and just one man left now. Everyone's in love with him by the way, you'll get used to it."

"They are?" Sarah frowned. "Why?"

"He's English. You know how girls are suckers for that accent." Alice said with a grin, stacking glasses on the bar. Sarah watched her in amusement; Alice was loud and confident, and Sarah found her bluntness hilarious. "Just don't join 'em, he never dates anyone. Could be gay, could be married. I don't ask."

"Are you in love with him too?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no, he's far too charming for my tastes. I only date guys with deep seated emotional problems." Alice said, a wicked grin on her face. "He's kinda cute though, in his own way."

"Noted." Sarah looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"You're early. We don't open for another ten minutes, and they were all due here an hour ago. Everyone's always late, it's kind of how it goes around here. Not me, I'm always on time. I live upstairs, I don't got an excuse to be late. I guess you're an early bird too, I like that."

"A habit of mine. I'm a terrible clock watcher." Sarah said with a shrug. "So, will you show me around?"

After a whistle stop tour of the bar, Sarah went to the back to change. It was already eight PM, and most bars were open by now. This one prided itself on being wild and out of control, and Sarah was terrified of messing up. Nikki, her friend who had got her the job, said that it would be a piece of cake - Sarah didn't trust those words anymore.

She was pulling her shirt off over her head when the door opened, and she heard a deep chuckle.

"Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was in here." A voice said, and Sarah froze. It was an English accent, so it was obviously the cute bartender Alice had mentioned.

"Well they are!" Sarah said, her head wedged in the head hole of her shirt. She was trying to remember what bra she had on that day, and hoped to God it wasn't the one with the tear in. "Can you leave? I'm stuck!"

"I've already shut the door, I'm not a pervert!" The man replied, still laughing. "Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Sarah said, finally managing to free her head. She caught a glance of her reflection, and her face was as red as a fire truck. She quickly changed into the white t-shirt that had been left out for her, along with a name tag that said "Sara". Close enough.

"Opening in five minutes guys, get your shit together!" Alice called out. Sarah rushed out into the main area, and saw a couple of incredibly beautiful women standing behind the long, sticky looking bar. Sarah went behind it too, and stood next to them awkwardly.

"Hey." One, a red head wearing a crop top said, smiling at her. "You must be the new girl."

"That's me." Sarah said, feeling a little intimidated. "Sarah."

"Tina." The redhead replied with a wave. "And this is Ella."

The girl next to her was blonde, a mass of hair pinned up to the top of her head. She was stunning, and looked at Sarah from head to toe, appraising her like a race horse.

"Hello." She said indifferently. "Your shirt's on backwards."

"It is?" Sarah tucked her arms inside it, and turned it around. She stuck her arms back out, looking down. "Thanks."

"So, you at NYU too?" Tina asked, chewing gum with her mouth wide open.

"Yeah. A junior. You?"

"Senior. What's your major?"

"English. I have a big paper due, I don't even wanna think about it tonight." Sarah said; she should have been at home working on it, but the chance of some cash (plus tips) was too good to pass up. Her dad paid her rent, but everything else was up to her and since she'd been fired from her last job in an upmarket clothing store, money had been a little thin on the ground.

"It'll be okay, tomorrow's Sunday. Just work then." Tina shrugged. "I'm a Drama major, I do shows almost every week hungover out my ass. Just fake it till you make it."

"Yeah, I guess I'll do that. How long have you two worked here?"

"Just a couple months." Tina answered for both of the girls. "Alice has been here a while, same with Jerry."

"Jerry?" Sarah asked, confused.

"The English guy." Tina said. "The one who walked in on you with your tits out."

"He's a jackass." Ella said irritably, finally speaking up.

"Ignore her, he's fine. She just got drunk one night last week and hit on him and he wouldn't play ball, that's why she's bitter." Tina said, digging her friend in the ribs. Sarah nodded in understanding, biting her lip to keep her from laughing.

"I am not bitter." Ella said firmly, crossing her arms in defiance. Tina rolled her eyes, mouthing 'bitter' at Sarah from behind the other girl's back.

"He turned you down? You're gorgeous!" Sarah said in disbelief.

"So is he. He's older than us, like mid thirties, but he's still hot. He's got these _eyes_ man, they just do something to you. And his smile, his teeth are a little weird but man, that smile." Tina said dreamily, and Sarah laughed.

"You're not making him sound that great. I'm sure he's not all that." Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh come now, they didn't mention my excellent body or my charming personality." A voice came from behind her, and Sarah jumped. Jerry emerged from under the bar, where he had apparently been the whole time. Tina and Ella fled, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "You must be new."

She turned around to face him, but he was facing the opposite way, fiddling with some glasses. He wasn't as tall as she had been expecting; of course, she had no idea what to expect at all, she'd only heard about him for the first time five minutes ago, it wasn't like she'd been building him up in her head.

"Yeah, I'm Sarah." Though he was still busy with whatever he was doing, he stuck his hand out to the side for her to shake. Those English really were well mannered.

"Jerry. Awfully sorry about earlier, I didn't realise anyone was in there."

"Um, that's okay." Sarah said, wishing he would turn around so she could see this face that had all the other girls so flustered. "I guess I better go and, um.."

"Get away from me?" He asked, as he walked down to the other end. His back was still facing her, and she could see his shoulders shaking with laughter. "Better get ready. It gets a little crazy in here, you know."

* * *

He hadn't been kidding.

Six hours later, Sarah's feet hurt so much she thought they would explode. The place was packed, every inch of the bar crammed with people. The line for the bar was five people thick, and everyone wanted shots. The bar was a haze of thick cigarette smoke, and Sarah coughed as it hit her lungs. It really wasn't good for her voice to be in such smoky places, but she couldn't be a diva about it.

"Is it always this busy?" Sarah yelled in Ella's ear as she came near her to grab a bottle of vodka.

"This is a quiet night." She shouted back, and Sarah watched as she expertly poured ten shots in a row. Sarah watched as the blonde knocked back one shot herself. Drinking on the job was allowed, but Sarah wanted to keep a clear head. The music was so loud that any alcohol would completely cloud her mind.

"That'll be two dollars please." Sarah told her customer, a girl who definitely didn't look twenty one. Fake IDs were rampant here, and Sarah had been told to turn a blind eye - within reason. No serving fifteen year olds, but college kids a couple months shy of legality were alright.

"Thanks."

The lights went up, and the crowd groaned with disappointment. Alice stood on the bar and called out "Last call bitches!" into the crowded room. Boos rang out from the drunk patrons, and Alice merely flipped them off and jumped down. She really was a showman, everything she did in the bar was dramatic, and Sarah could see that the patrons loved every minute of it.

The bar was flooded with people wanting to get a last drink in before they had to leave, and Sarah tried to pour as fast as she could. When the last person had been served, she staggered back, exhausted.

As the bar emptied, Sarah began to clear up. She spent fifteen minutes clearing away all the glasses, and cleaning up messes that she really didn't want to know about. The other girls were so drunk they could hardly stand, and she wondered how they got away with it. She liked to be professional, even if this job turned out to just be for a night. She looked around for Alice, but couldn't see her. She hadn't seen Jerry all night, save for a few glances of his back clearing up glasses or serving a drink; she still hadn't seen his face.

"How did it go?" A voice from beside her asked. She jumped a little, and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. It would look too weird to suddenly face him, and she'd sneak a look at his face as the conversation progressed. She didn't even know why she cared so much; it wasn't like she'd date him or anything.

"Would you stop creeping up on me? You're gonna give me a heart attack." She said, clutching her chest dramatically.

"Apologies. Did you enjoy yourself?" Jerry asked. "I know it must be rather hectic to a newcomer, but you get used to it."

"Not as much as those two, clearly." Sarah said, eyeing Ella and Tina dancing together in the empty, silent room. Ella was watching Sarah suspiciously, looking jealous.

"Do you not drink?" He asked her, and she shook her head.

"Not at work. You?"

"No, not on duty. After work, however, is a different matter. Can I buy you a drink?" He asked, and she thought for a moment before nodding.

"Sure." Sarah said, thinking that a shot of something strong would ease the burning sensation in her heels. She pulled two glasses out from under the bar. "What d'you want?"

"I feel like a whiskey. You?" He asked, grabbing a bottle from behind them.

"Whiskey's great."

He poured them each a generous helping, and Sarah moved around to the other side of the bar. She sat on a stool, spinning it round to face the other two girls. Tina was crying now, so drunk that she was slurring her words.

"Do they always get like this?" Sarah asked Jerry, finally turning to face him. He really was handsome; a little older than she had expected, though his voice did sound like one that belonged to a man of around forty. His face was slim, with a defined jaw, and he had a sweeping fringe over his forehead. She looked at his eyes, and she saw what the girls had been talking about; one eye was almost black, the pupil taking up all the space whilst the other looked positively icy in comparison.

"Yes, every Saturday. I normally end up walking them home." He told her, taking out a crumpled packet of cigarettes from his pocket. He placed one between his lips, lighting it. Sarah watched him as if in a trance; he really was exceptionally attractive, and there was something familiar about him that she couldn't quite place.

"Where do you live?" Sarah asked conversationally.

"Soho. They live in Greenwich Village, so not too far from my flat. It would be easier to just take a taxi, but I enjoy walking around the city in the early morning, it's so quiet. Plus the fresh air lets those two sober up a little."

"I live in the Village too." Sarah said, taking a drink.

"Well then, perhaps you'd like to join us on our walk home? Unless of course you have a boyfriend or someone who is coming to get you. I'd never let a lady walk home alone, the streets are mean around here. It would be a pleasure to have someone as beautiful as you join us, it would give me some intelligent company for a change." He said with a wry smile, and Sarah wanted to throw herself at him.

 _You barely know the guy. Just because he calls you beautiful doesn't mean he means it._

"No, no boyfriend." She said, a little too eagerly. "I can take care of myself. But yes, I'll join you. I can't afford a cab right now anyhow."

"That might be about to change." Jerry said with a smile, nodding to Alice who was walking in holding a stack of envelopes.

"Right, listen up. Good work tonight gang, especially since those rich losers left us high and dry. Sarah, you did great. So, its three hundred bucks a piece tonight." She said, dolling out the envelopes. Ella immediately dropped hers on the floor, giggling as she struggled to pick it up again.

"Three hundred dollars?!" Sarah asked in disbelief as she was handed her share. "In one night? That's insane."

"The tips are great here." Alice shrugged. "Your pay for tonight's in there too. Don't go spending it all in one place. Give me a call about coming back, you'd be welcome any time."

"Thanks." Sarah said, enjoying the feel of the envelope in her hand. It was thick with cash, and she figured the tips were all in small bills.

"Right ladies, shall we go?" Jerry called to the other two, who nodded vaguely, stumbling towards the door. "Sarah?" The way he said her name gave her shivers; he drawled it slowly, as if running his tongue over each letter.

"Uh yeah, just give me a second to grab my stuff." She ran to the back room, shoving her clothes from earlier into her backpack. She placed the envelope at the bottom of the bag; you could never be too careful. She threw her coat on, and with a quick glance in the mirror, she put her bag on her back and left the room.

When she got out into the main bar, Jerry was waiting for her. The other two girls had vanished.

"Ella got sick." Alice called out from behind the bar, seeing Sarah look around with a puzzled expression. "I put her upstairs on my couch, and Tina fell asleep on top of her."

"I was only gone two minutes." Sarah said, trying not to laugh. Alice shrugged, and disappeared into the back room, calling out goodbye behind her.

"A lot can happen in two minutes. Right, shall we go?" Jerry asked her, and Sarah felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Um, just the two of us?" Sarah asked nervously.

"We can get a cab if you prefer, but we'll be lucky to find one at this time of the night. Well, morning now." Jerry told her, and she shook her head.

"No, no walking's fine. Just don't mug me."

"Of course not. You have my word as a gentleman I shall return you un-mugged to your home." Jerry said, giving her a little bow. She laughed, hitting his shoulder lightly. He grinned at her, and there was something about his smile that almost seemed to tease her.

"Thanks. Let's go then."

They went out into the street, the autumn air chilly. It would be Winter soon, all thick snow and ice, but Sarah loved these last few days of Fall. Even in the dead of night in a city as big as New York, there was something magical about Fall.

"Right, this way. So, tell me about yourself. I've hardly spoken to you all evening and I've created all sorts of stories about you in my head."

"Well, I'm sure they're more interesting than my life." She said with a laugh. He was smoking again, the fog in front of his face making him look mysterious. "I'm twenty one, I'm from upstate. I have a seven year old brother, my parents are divorced and my mom lives in London. I major in English, and I do a bit of acting on the side. That's me."

"There are a few interesting things there, don't do yourself down love. What's your brother called?" Sarah felt a strange jump in her stomach when he called her 'love'. She didn't quite understand it, but it thrilled her.

"Toby."

"Are you close?" Jerry asked politely, and Sarah smiled at the thought of her little brother, all chubby cheeks and bruised knees from climbing trees all the time.

"Now we are. When he was a baby I hated him. Nobody wants to be stuck babysitting all the time I guess. Now, we're great. I wouldn't change him for the world."

"I suppose it's natural to hate your sibling."

"Do you have any?" Sarah asked, and he shook his head, cigarette held firmly between his lips.

"Me? No. Classic only child I'm afraid, entitled and brattish." He exhaled, and Sarah coughed a little as smoke surrounded her.

"Really?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. "You don't seem so entitled to me. I mean, I've just met you but you don't seem that terrible."

"Well, I suppose I'm not so bad."

"Where are you from in England?"

"London." He said simply. She had guessed as much; his accent was typical London, a little Cockney but not quite.

"Where abouts? My mom lives there like I said, I've been there a few times."

"Brixton. Haven't been back in years, I've moved around a lot." He shrugged. "It got a little boring in dear old England."

"Where have you lived?" Sarah asked with interest; she had always wanted to travel.

"Oh, all over. France, Germany, here of course."

"Are you married?" Sarah asked.

"No. Never fancied it really. I suppose I should settle down, I'm not getting any younger." He said thoughtfully, and Sarah sighed.

"There's no point getting married just for the sake of it. Divorce isn't fun." She said, thinking of her own parents' messy and drawn out separation.

"Yes, that's a point. Loneliness isn't too fun either, of course."

"It's not hard to be lonely in a city like this. Surrounded by people but everyone's too busy to talk to each other." Sarah sighed, thinking of all the nights she had spent alone. "It's nice to have someone to walk with."

"Will you be coming back to work at the bar?" Jerry asked, and Sarah shrugged.

"Maybe. I'll call Alice tomorrow and talk to her about it."

"You're certainly a valuable addition to the team." Jerry told her. "An improvement on Ella and Tina, that's for sure."

"Ella said she hit on you, I guess you heard that." Sarah said, immediately wishing she hadn't. It made her seem like she was jealous, or at least curious.

"I try not to fraternize at work. I like to avoid gossip about my personal life." He shrugged. Sarah felt a little disappointed, and her face showed it. He looked at her with a knowing smile, and she felt herself flush red. She really wasn't a very good actress if she couldn't hide her emotions.

"I can't believe three people won the lottery. That's just the weirdest thing I've ever heard." She said, changing the subject dramatically. He gave her a knowing smile, but played along.

"Quite bizarre." Jerry said smoothly. "I suppose if they hadn't, you wouldn't have been offered a job. We usually run quite well if two people are off, but being understaffed by three is just too much."

"It's almost as though someone planned it." Sarah laughed easily. "Oh well, everybody wins. I may not have millions of dollars, but three hundred sounds pretty good to me."

"Money troubles?" Jerry asked, looking genuinely concerned. She shook her head.

"Nothing as dramatic as that. Just buying books and stuff really adds up."

"What's your favourite book?" Jerry asked conversationally, and Sarah thought about it for a while.

"I have a few. I get so obsessed with books, I just read them over and over again. When I was a kid, there was this one called The Labyrinth that I absolutely, have you heard of it?"

"I think I'm familiar with it." Jerry told her, and she noticed that they were walking very close together, their arms brushing against each other. He smelled nice, like cigarette smoke, leather and expensive cologne.

"I loved that one. I even convinced myself it was real, how crazy is that? I had a dream about it and for the longest time I thought it really happened to me. Bet I sound nuts right?"

"Not at all." Jerry replied. "I used to be quite obsessed with The Hobbit. I think it was to make myself feel better about being rather on the short side."

"Well, it's good to know I'm not alone."

"Not alone, no." Jerry threw his cigarette onto the street.

"You shouldn't litter." Sarah told him sternly, and he laughed.

"Dreadfully sorry, officer. Here," he held out his wrists, pressed together as if handcuffed, "lock me up and throw away the key."

She threw her head back and laughed, feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks. He made her laugh, something that many struggled to do. She had a reputation for being a little cold, but really it was more shyness than anything else. She didn't feel shy with him.

"It's freezing out here." Sarah said with a shiver, as a gust of wind blew around them. Jerry looked at her for a brief moment, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They carried on walking, chatting about nothing in particular and neither mentioning the fact he was pulling her closer to him as they walked. He lit another cigarette.

"I'm sorry, I'm a terrible chain smoker." He said, inhaling deeply. "I hope it doesn't bother you."

"No, it's fine. It's no good for you though." She told him, and he nodded in agreement.

"I know, I know. I'll give up soon."

"How long have you been saying that?"

"Seven years."

They reached her front stoop all too soon, and Sarah didn't want to say goodbye. It was almost five in the morning, the streets were getting lighter and in the distance she could hear sirens wailing.

"Well, this is me." She broke away from him and climbed one step. They were the same height like this, and she looked him in the eyes. She didn't want to go inside, she didn't want to go inside alone, and she didn't know why. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yes. Perhaps at work." Jerry said, and Sarah felt disappointment in the pit of her stomach.

"Yeah, I guess. Work." Sarah said, looking down at her feet. Maybe she'd read the signs all wrong, and he wasn't interested in her at all. He turned to leave, and she started trudging up the stairs. She heard footsteps behind her, and when someone tapped on her shoulder, she veered round with her key poking out in between her knuckles, just like she'd been taught in self defense class.

"I come in peace." He said, holding his hands up and grinning at her.

"Sorry. I thought you were going to kill me." Sarah said sheepishly. He grinned at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"I'd like to see you again." He told her, straightforward and to the point.

"You would?" She asked dumbly, and he nodded.

"Very much."

"Oh. Okay. Um, well I could give you my phone number if you want."

"How about we meet tomorrow?" He said, and Sarah smiled at his eagerness. She shook her head, and his smile wavered a little.

"I have to do a paper tomorrow." She said instantly, and suddenly she felt very young. Here he was, a much older man asking her out and all she could say is that she had homework to do.

"What on?" He asked, appearing to be genuinely interested.

"Shakespeare."

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.."

"I swear, everyone cracks that line out as soon as you mention Shakespeare's name. Anyway, it's due Monday so I really need do it. It's already getting light, I'll be asleep most of the day so I won't have much free time for socializing." Sarah said, wondering if he thought she was making excuses not to see him.

"Well, let me have your phone number and I'll give you call tomorrow night, just in case you've finished and feel like a drink."

Sarah took off her backpack and rummaged for a pen and some paper. She scrawled her number down quickly, checking to make sure it was right.

"Here you go." She hovered nervously, not sure what to do.

"Wonderful. Well, I'll call you tomorrow. Today, even." He said, as the birds started chirping merrily. "Sleep well."

"You too."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, and she shut her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his lips against her skin. He pulled away and stared at her, as though he wanted more but didn't want to ruin things. They stared at each other, until he moved back.

"Goodnight, Sarah."

She watched as he walked down the street, and then turned around and let herself in. As the door shut, she smiled; there was something about him that was so familiar, yet she couldn't place it. Whatever it was, she liked the way it made her feel.

* * *

In the dawn, Jerry walked down the street, a grin on his face. He had been waiting seven long, painful years for this moment.

He stopped and looked around, checking nobody was watching. In an instant, his short hair had grown ten inches, his long coat and sensible clothing gone. In their place, a loose fitting shirt and tight pants, with leather knee high boots. Then, in a flash, he was gone.

* * *

 **A/N: This story came to my head when I watched The Linguine Incident - there were so many weird moments in that film that I was like "What if that was Jareth in disguise?" It's worth a watch, David Bowie's good in it.  
**

 **The rating will most likely change in the future.**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Why are you looking at the phone?" Nikki asked, pouring herself a glass of wine. She offered Sarah one, but she shook her head.

"Huh? I'm not." Sarah said, tearing her eyes away from the corner of the room where the phone was and pretending to write something down.

"You are. You keep looking at the phone." Nikki insisted. She sat down next to Sarah at the kitchen table, which was currently covered in notes and stationary. Sarah wasn't a tidy studier. Nikki picked up a few sheets of paper and glanced over them, leaning back on her chair.

"Do I? I'm just bored I guess, this assignment is so dull." Sarah said, chewing the end of a pencil innocently. Nikki was looking at her with a knowing grin; they had been best friends since freshman year, and knew each other inside out.

"You met a guy, didn't you?" Nikki said, a perfectly waxed eyebrow raised. She was always so well groomed it made Sarah feel like a slob. Even on a student budget, her nails were always manicured, her hair always professionally cut and highlighted. She had the look of a typical Park Avenue princess, but Sarah knew she was fiercely intelligent, and completely hilarious.

"No."

"Sarah, you're a terrible liar. Who is he? It wouldn't happen to be the cute guy who was on our stoop at 5AM would it?" Nikki asked, and Sarah knew her roommate was a nosy old woman at heart. "I mean it was dark, but he was wearing a nice coat."

"Honestly Nikki, I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you drunk?" Sarah said, eyeing Nikki's rather generous glass of white wine with suspicion.

"It's four in the afternoon on a Sunday. Of course I'm drunk, I went out for brunch with that guy from my class and it lasted five hours. Now, your guy. Who is he?" She probed, and Sarah exhaled in irritation.

"There's no guy!" Sarah insisted dramatically, flipping open her textbook and bringing it right to her nose to avoid looking at Nikki.

Just then, the phone started ringing. Sarah looked at Nikki, Nikki looked at Sarah and they both made a dive for the phone. Sarah slapped her away, shoving her to the ground and hitting her with the now redundant textbook. Nikki fell into a heap with a scream of laughter, as Sarah practically wrenched the phone off the receiver.

"Hello?" Sarah asked breathlessly, trying to sound like she hadn't just been in a minor fist fight to answer the phone.

"Hello, Sarah. It's Jerry." Oh, his voice was delicious. Nikki jostled to hear the conversation, and Sarah pushed her away. "How's the essay going?"

"Um, great, thanks. How are you?" Sarah asked, as Nikki made obnoxious kissing noises in the background. Sarah kicked at her to make her shut up, which only made her laugh harder.

"Very well, thank you. Almost finished?" He asked politely, and Sarah looked over at the pile of notes littering the kitchen table.

"Uh, not quite." Sarah admitted, twirling the phone chord around her finger. Nikki got up from the floor, dusting herself off and leaning against the wall. Sarah turned her back on her. It was hard to have a proper conversation when your drunk roommate was lurking like this.

"What a shame, I suppose that means you won't be free tonight?" He asked her, and whilst part of Sarah wanted to scream "yes!" down the phone, the practical part of her mind stopped her.

"Probably not, I should really write this.." Nikki was mouthing frantically at her, and Sarah eyed her strangely. "Sorry Jerry, give me one second, I think my room mate is having some kind of fit." She held the phone between her neck and shoulder, covering the mouthpiece. "What?!"

"I'll finish your assignment! You never go out, and this guy's got you smiling like I've never seen before." Nikki whispered, sitting down on the couch and watching intently.

"You can't write my assignment! That's cheating! Plus, you don't know anything about English, you're a biology major!" Sarah hissed at her.

"How hard can it be?!" Nikki shrugged indifferently. "Romeo and Juliet, blah blah blah."

"That's great, but this essay's on The Tempest." Sarah replied sarcastically. "Look, I'll figure it out without resorting to cheating, alright?"

"Fine." Nikki relented, and Sarah placed the phone back to her ear.

"Sorry about that, there was, um, a fire." Sarah said without thinking, immediately wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

"A fire?" Jerry asked in confusion, and Sarah cringed at her stupid excuse.

"A small fire. It's, uh, out now." Sarah said, as Nikki looked at her in disbelief. Her roommate scrawled something on a piece of paper, and held it up for Sarah to see.

"WAS THE FIRE IN YOUR PANTS?! BECAUSE YOU ARE A TERRIBLE LIAR"

"Um, so yeah I could probably go out later. I guess I could use a break, I've not got that much left to write." Liar, Sarah thought. She'd barely written her name at the top of the page.

"I know a great all night coffee place just around the corner from you." He told her, and she nodded, before realizing he couldn't actually see her.

"I love coffee." She said, cringing at how stupid she sounded.

"Excellent. What time would suit you? I'm a night owl, so as late as you please." He told her, and she could hear him exhaling through the phone. Smoking again.

"Um, ten?" Sarah said. "Would that be alright?"

"Perfect. I'll swing by yours and pick you up." He said, and she was sure she could hear him smiling, if that didn't sound so lame.

"Okay, sounds good. I'll see you later then?" She asked, ignoring Nikki who was making lewd hand gestures at her.

"See you later. Enjoy the Bard. Goodbye Sarah."

"Bye."

She placed the phone down on the receiver, and turned to face Nikki who was grinning at her wickedly.

"So, who is he?!" Nikki asked excitedly, practically bouncing on the spot.

"He's a guy who works at that bar your friend runs." Sarah shrugged, sitting back down at the table. She had to get this finished quickly. She had six hours before her, well, not date, but whatever it was. That was perfectly doable. "You are so immature by the way."

"Oh, _that_ Jerry! English Jerry!" Nikki exclaimed, and Sarah rolled her eyes.

"You know him? If you've slept with him, I swear to God.." Sarah said, knowing that any exes were out of bounds; rule 101 of friendship.

"No, I haven't slept with him. I have met him though, a bunch of times. He is cuuuuute!" Nikki said enthusiastically, stretching the word out in a high pitched voice. "A little old for you, no? You normally go for weird poets and nerds who live in their mom's basement."

"They are not nerds!" Sarah said defensively, thinking of the string of actors and poets she had dated. Well, not string. But a few. "They were artists."

"They were jerks." Nikki told her sternly. Sarah couldn't disagree with her there; they messed her around for a while then all left in the end.

"Well, how do you know Jerry's not a jerk?" Sarah asked cynically, and Nikki just laughed.

"All men are jerks, but Jerry seems like the lesser of a whole bunch of evil."

"How reassuring. Anyway, it's not like it's a date." Sarah said, trying not to look her friend in the eye.

"Are you sure?" Nikki asked, drinking her wine. "He called you on a Sunday afternoon, just like I'm guessing he promised he would, to ask you out for coffee because he knows you're busy with college work and you need a break. That sounds pretty thoughtful and pretty date like to me."

"Yes." Sarah said, scribbling pointless notes in an effort to look busy. "I'm sure. He never fraternizes with work people, that's what he said."

"It's not like you work there properly, though." Nikki reasoned with her. "It was just a one night thing, right?"

"I'm thinking about it, Alice said there's a job for me if I want it and I could really use the money. You didn't mention the tips were so great." Sarah said, thinking of the wedge of bills hidden beneath her bed.

"Oh yeah, they're insane. For somewhere that looks so grungy, you get an awful lot of rich kids in there." Nikki said, shrugging. "It was too much for me though, one night and I wanted to punch everyone in the face."

"God, you're so violent. So yeah, if I want to work there, it's not like I can date him. His rules." Sarah said, feeling a little melancholy.

"Or fuck him." Nikki said, lowering the tone as ever. Sarah looked at her incredulously, and she looked a little sheepish. "Sorry."

"Trust you to make everything about sex." Sarah sighed, underlining something in her textbook that probably didn't need underlining at all. She really needed to focus, but between Nikki's coarse ramblings and the butterflies in her stomach, she wasn't having much luck at all.

"Okay, tell me you haven't thought about him naked." Nikki asked her, and Sarah avoided looking her in the eye. Her roommate stood there with a triumphant look on her face, and Sarah sank down in her chair and covered her face.

"Nikki, this is ridiculous." Sarah protested weakly, and Nikki grinned.

"So you have."

"Maybe. Once. Twice." Sarah admitted, twirling a piece of hair around her pencil. "It doesn't matter!"

"Did you kiss him last night?" Nikki asked, sitting beside her at the table. Sarah shifted her chair away from her, still trying to maintain the illusion of doing some work.

"No!" Sarah said in outrage. "He walked me home, and he gave me a very polite peck on the cheek."

"Did you flirt?" Nikki interrogated her further, and Sarah shrugged.

"I don't think so. We just talked about stuff."

"Did he touch you at all?" Nikki asked. "A light brush of your arm, a hand on your back.."

"He put his arm around me." Sarah said. "Alright? Because I was cold."

"For how long?" Nikki pressed her, and Sarah shrugged.

"Half an hour?"

"Ooh! God, the English are just so polite and smooth aren't they? Did he call you 'love'?" Nikki asked dreamily, putting on a terrible Cockney accent. Sarah thought about it for a second.

"Um, yeah? I think so anyway. I really need to study, Nik."

"Oh man." Nikki said, completely ignoring Sarah's plea to study and pouring herself another glass of wine. "Has he got any brothers?"

"Only child." Sarah told her, picking up her book again. Maybe if she just blocked Nikki out, she'd go away.

"Damn. I call dibs on any hot English friends so long as they aren't so old that it's a little weird they're still single. How old _is_ he anyway?" She asked, swigging from her glass.

"I have no idea, I didn't ask. At least thirty five, right?" Sarah pondered. He had one of those faces that you couldn't quite age, a weird ageless quality about him.

"I'd say thirty nine as my bet. Okay, you study, I've got to go out. Make sure you leave enough time to shower and wash your hair. Maybe double wash your hair."

"Yes Mom." Sarah drawled. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"You smell like old vodka and cigarettes." Nikki said, and Sarah brought a chunk of hair to her nose and sniffed. She grimaced; Nikki was right, for once.

"Great. He wouldn't notice anyway." Sarah said, thinking that constant smoking must dull your sense of smell.

"Is he still a crazy chain smoker?"

"Yeah."

"Gross."

"I know."

Nikki suddenly got up from the table and grabbed her coat from the front door. Sarah watched her curiously.

"Okay, so I'm going out." Nikki told her, as she checked her lipstick in the small mirror they kept by the front door.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked, kind of disappointed that she was leaving. As much as she protested, this conversation was far more entertaining than the essay that waited for her.

"Dinner with that guy I met on the subway last week." Nikki told her, pulling a tube of bright pink lipstick from her pocket and applying it. "Dave I think his name is."

"Honestly, I can't keep track of you. Well, I'll see you later." Sarah said, turning to actually start her work.

"You will. Don't forget, hang a tie off the door if you're doing anything you don't want me to see." Nikki trilled, her face twisted into a broad smile.

"I don't own a tie." Sarah pointed out, and Nikki shrugged indifferently.

"A scarf then, I don't know! There are condoms under the bathroom sink." Nikki told her with a wink, and Sarah groaned.

"Will you stop being so disgusting?! I am not sleeping with him!" Sarah said adamantly, throwing a balled up piece of paper at her friend. She missed, hitting the door frame instead.

"Fine, fine." Nikki said, buttoning up her coat. "You do need to get laid though. It's been what, seven months?"

"Nine." Sarah told her through gritted teeth. "Your comments have been duly noted. Get of here please!"

"See you!"

After she left, Sarah groaned. She couldn't concentrate at all, and there were still hours left until she was due to see Jerry. This essay wasn't even meant to be that long, only a couple of thousand words which would normally take her a couple hours at most.

"Right, just do it. Just get it done." She told herself out loud, trying to get motivated. "No showering until you're finished, Sarah Williams."

She managed to get into a groove, and was eventually finished by eight. It wasn't the finest piece of work she'd ever done, but it was passable and it wasn't like the assignment was that important.

Getting up from the table, she walked across the tiny apartment to the bathroom. She hated it in here; it was all dark and dingy, with spiders taking up residence on the ceiling every day. She cranked the shower lever, and groaned as only a drop of water came out. This place was not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but by New York standards it was practically free. Nothing ever worked properly, and nothing ever got fixed.

She managed to fill up a few bowls with water from the kettle, and managed to wash her hair enough that it no longer smelt. That was as good as it was going to get, she feared. She hastily blow dried it, wanting to make it look like she hadn't made any effort at all. After all, it was only going for coffee.

* * *

At 9.30, Sarah sat in her tiny bedroom, killing time. She was dressed casually, just jeans and a sweater, with the tiniest bit of lipstick and mascara on her face. She was watching the clock anxiously, and time seemed to be moving slower.

She got up and paced up and down (which didn't take very long, considering how small the room was) for a bit. Then, at 9.32, she decided she would read a book to calm her down. She went over to her bookshelf, which was crammed fit to bursting, and ran a finger over the well worn spines of the books she kept there. Hidden amongst the others was that familiar red book she'd been telling Jerry about. With a smile, she took it out. She hadn't read it in years; in fact, it was a little depressing for her.

She had been so convinced that that night was real, that she had really defeated the Labyrinth. When she fell asleep that night, she'd been full of dreams of seeing Hoggle and Ludo again, but when she tried calling for them again, there was nothing. The whole thing had been some crazy, super realistic dream that had messed her up for a few weeks.

It was funny, she could hardly remember it now. It was all a blur; she could remember some of the key parts of the dream, like Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus, but other parts were a haze. Like the Goblin King; she could hardly remember him at all.

She read for a few minutes, surprised she still knew every word. It was a cool story, but definitely one best left in her childhood. She was just getting to the end when the buzzer rang. She jumped up, dropping the book on the floor. She ran to answer it, pressing the button.

"Hello?"

"Hello Sarah. Ready?" His voice crackled through the receiver and she smiled.

"Yeah, I'll be right down." She checked her reflection in the mirror, brushing hair out of her eyes. She grabbed her jacket and shoved it on, grabbing her keys and purse. She raced down the stairs, almost tripping twice. She stopped just before the front door, trying to get her breath back.

 _Calm. Chill. He's just a guy._

She opened the front door, and Jerry turned around. He smiled broadly at her, and she felt her knees go weak. Such a cliché.

"Hello." He said, stubbing a cigarette out with his foot. "All done?"

"Huh?"

"Your essay."

"Oh, yeah. Done and dusted."

"So you don't have to rush back?"

"No, I guess not."

"Wonderful. I wondered if you fancied a walk? It's a lovely night."

He wasn't wrong; the air wasn't as cold as it had been last night, and the sky was clear. If it wasn't for all the pollution, Sarah imagined that you would even be able to see stars.

"A walk sounds great. I've been sitting studying all day."

"Excellent. I promise to protect you from any unsavoury types we may encounter."

"I hardly know you. You might be one of the unsavoury types." Sarah said jokingly, and he laughed.

"Only one way to find out." He held his elbow out for her, and she hesitated for a moment before looping her arm walked down the steps, and into the street. "That's a nice apartment building. Do you live alone?"

"No, I live with my friend Nikki. She says she's met you before."

"Yes, I know Nikki. Nice girl. Rather loud."

"That's her." Sarah chuckled.

"So, were you talking about me?" He asked lightly, and Sarah felt her face turn red.

"Um, not really. Just talking about how the bar went last night, your name just came up."

"Oh right. I have to say, I thought about you all day." He said, his voice playful. She blinked a little at his statement, her heart beating quickly.

"You did?" Sarah asked shakily. She wasn't used to guys being so honest about what they were thinking. Sometimes, it had felt like a miracle when a guy had called her the right name.

"I did. Is that alright?" He asked her, seeming genuinely concerned she would have a problem with that.

"Um, yeah. It's your brain." She laughed nervously, and immediately regretted it. She sounded mean. "I thought about you too." She admitted, and he looked down at her with a smile.

"So how did the essay go? A+ material?"

"I don't know about that. I kind of winged it a little. It will do, though."

"Do you enjoy college?"

"Yeah, I love it. Did you go to college?"

"No, not me. Afraid I wasn't studious enough for uni, I dabbled a little at art college for a while but that came to nothing."

"What kind of art?" Sarah asked in interest.

"Painting. I wasn't very good." He told her, grimacing a little. He took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

"I'm sure that's not true."

"You wouldn't say that if you saw some of the tripe I made."

"When were you at art college?" She asked lightly, and he looked at her carefully.

"You're trying to work out how old I am, aren't you love?" He asked her jovially, trying not to laugh.

"You caught me." She admitted, a little shamefacedly. "How old are you?"

"Thirty seven."

"Cool." Sarah shrugged, trying to look indifferent. Really, this was the oldest man she'd ever been on a date - if this was a date - with, and the gap in their ages was fairly significant. Even her father was only just forty.

"Is that a problem?" He asked lightly, and she shook her head.

"Why would it be a problem? We're just hanging out."

"I had rather hoped this was a date." Jerry told her, exhaling smoothly, and Sarah felt a goofy smile spread over her face. She nodded frantically, and he watched her in amusement. He stubbed out his cigarette, eyeing her carefully.

"Um, yeah, if you want it to be. Not that I don't, I mean I thought it was a date too, it's just-" He held up a hand to stop her, and brushed some hair from her face. He was wearing leather clothes, and she closed her eyes at his gentle touch. She wrenched them open quickly, hoping it looked like she was blinking rather than swooning.

"Sarah, it's alright. I'm teasing you."

"I knew that. So, you don't paint anymore? Is your plan to work at the bar for a long time?"

"Not really, the bar's just a stop gap between things. It turned out to be a rather lucrative stop gap, I'm earning more money than I know what to do with. It's quite a step up from my last job."

"What was your last job?"

"Flogging knives."

"Flogging?" Sarah frowned in confusion. Sometimes with the English it was like they were speaking a whole other language.

"Selling." He explained apologetically. "Selling knives, door to door."

"Oh. Yeah, I can imagine that wasn't very good. I bet they only let you keep a slice of the profits."

"Did you just make a knife pun?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think I did." She said, feeling a bit embarrassed by her terrible joke. "Sorry."

"I'm not sure if I can think of one in reply, but I'll take a stab at it." He said with a grin, and she laughed.

"Okay, okay, I get the point."

"At least we've cut the tension between us." He said, and Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Okay, these need to stop before things get ridiculous."

"Oh come come, Sarah, aren't you sharp enough to think of another?"

"Cut it out." She said, as Jerry groaned. "Right, that's enough. So, how long have you been living in New York?"

"A year, nearly two. I get bored easily, I move around a lot."

"Do you think you'll leave soon?" She asked, trying to sound as though she didn't really care either way.

"I don't know. It depends on if I find anything to make me want to stay." He said, his voice sounding wistful. Sarah looked at him, but he was staring straight ahead.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. A sense of purpose maybe."

"I'm sure you have purpose."

"It feels increasingly as though my purpose is to pour shots and clean up vomit night after night."

"Is that not valid?" Sarah asked jokingly. "I have no purpose either."

"What do you want to do when you leave college?"

"I want to write." She told him. She noticed he had grabbed her hand she had crooked through his elbow with his free hand, and was stroking her fingers softly. She wondered if she should pull her hand away, if it was too forward to basically let him hold her hand, and then decided to just keep it there.

"What kind of thing? A novel?" He asked her, and she tipped her head to the side, thinking. She really had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, she'd only said she wanted to write so she didn't have to deal with an awkward silence.

"Maybe a novel, maybe a play. I have no idea. Right now I'm just that hideous college student who wants to change the world through her mind cliché. I'll join you in cleaning up vomit, I'm sure." Sarah said, kicking at a can with her feet.

They came to a stop in a park, thankfully well lit and relatively clean, and sat down together on a bench.

"Have you decided if you're coming back to work at the bar?"

"Yeah, I think I will." Sarah told him, and his smile wavered a little.

"Pity." He said, letting go of her hand abruptly. Sarah frowned.

"Why?"

"It would mean our relationship would have to stay entirely professional, lest things get awkward. And I'm not quite sure how I feel about that." His voice was soft, and rather suggestive. It made Sarah feel weak.

"You hardly know me." Sarah squeaked. "I hardly know you."

"That's true. But we're getting to know one another, aren't we?" He asked her softly, playing with her hair. He ran a gloved hand up her neck, stroking the delicate spot under her ear. She leaned against his shoulder, shutting her eyes and trying not to squirm with pleasure.

"Yeah." Sarah said quietly. God, she wanted to kiss him. They must have been together for an hour now, and his presence was driving her crazy. She wanted him more than she had wanted any man before, and she couldn't understand it. She'd never believed in that instant connection two people could share, but right now she was feeling it first hand and it was driving her insane.

She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. For the first time tonight, he wasn't smiling. He didn't look unhappy, but his face was set in a determined expression, and Sarah stared up at him.

"May I kiss you, Sarah?" He asked, and Sarah was a little taken aback by his courtesy. Most boys just went straight in for the kiss, careless and clumsy. But he wasn't a boy.

She nodded silently, lifting her head off his shoulder and facing him. He cupped her face softly, looking in her eyes as if to ask her permission again. She moved her head closer to his until there was hardly an inch between them. Tentatively, he placed his mouth on hers. His lips were soft, and he kissed her so sweetly and gently she thought she might melt into him. He tasted like cigarettes, which wasn't the most pleasant taste in the world, but she didn't care.

Their lips moved against one another, and Sarah felt like time had stopped. His hands were in her hair, her hands were pressed against his back. They were like two teenagers, making out on a park bench, and she didn't even care.

It was only when a drunk passer by yelled out "Get a room!" that they broke apart.

"I should go home." Sarah said quietly, placing a hand on the side of his face.

"I suppose it is getting rather late. Let's get you home, then."

They walked back to her apartment in near silence, the walk seeming quicker than it had before. He held her hand the whole way, and touched her teasingly. She was finding it increasingly hard to think straight, and knew she had to go home before she rushed into something. Losing her head was one thing, but losing her heart was quite another.

When they reached her front stoop, he kissed her goodbye gently.

"May I see you again this week?" He asked. There was no suggestion that he should come in, something Sarah liked. Other guys were always fishing for an invite up to her apartment - and not for coffee.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Shall I call you in the week and arrange something?" He asked her, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, call me."

"Excellent. Well, thank you for a wonderful evening Sarah." He said sincerely, and Sarah stood there awkwardly, not really sure what to say.

"I had a great time."

He leaned forward to kiss her again, and stopped just before he reached her lips. She looked at him in dismay.

"What?"

"Your roommate is looking at us." He gestured above them, and Sarah turned around just in time to see Nikki dive away from the window. "I think she's gone now."

He kissed her deeply, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. After a couple of minutes, he let her go.

"I really should be going. I'll see you again, Sarah."

"Sure. Goodnight Jerry."

"Goodnight."

He walked away, and Sarah watched him for a moment, before letting herself into the building. Her lips still tingled, and she smiled happily as she went up the stairs, ready for Nikki's inquisition.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Nikki, you are such a creeper!" Sarah called out into the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Her roommate opened her bedroom door and stuck her head out out sheepishly. "Romantic moment ruined, thanks!"

"I'm sorry alright? I couldn't resist." She sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. She leaned forwards, waiting for all the gossip. "So?"

"So what?" Sarah asked, taking off her jacket. "We kissed, you already know that."

"Just kissed?" Nikki asked with a raised eyebrow, and Sarah scoffed at her.

"What, you think I'm going to have sex with a guy for the first time in public?" Sarah asked in outrage. "That's real classy, Nik."

"Fine, fine, you didn't have sex with him. You're gonna see him again though, right?"

"Yeah, he's calling me in the week. It's really not a big deal, it's not like I'm looking for a boyfriend or anything." Sarah shrugged. "If he walks me home again, you have to promise not to do your whole curtain twitcher act, alright?"

"But it's so fun!" Nikki protested, and Sarah glared at her. Nikki sighed dramatically, flopping backwards onto the sofa. "Fine, I won't. So, date number two this week."

"Maybe. He might not call." Sarah shrugged, trying to sound as though she didn't care.

"Please, he'll call." Nikki said firmly, rolling her eyes.

"How do you know?"

"Because he already called when he said he would. And he kissed you like you were water and he was dying of thirst."

"Whatever, you're drunk. I'm going to bed, it's late. Goodnight you stalker."

"Goodnight!"

Sarah shut the door. She went to her bed to pick up the copy of the Labyrinth she hadn't quite finished reading, and frowned when she realized that it wasn't where she'd left it. She looked under the bed, in the bookcase, even under her covers. It wasn't there.

"Nik, did you take a book from my room?"

"No!" Nikki called back. "I don't have time to read anything that isn't on the structure of a cell right now!"

Sarah frowned, wondering where on Earth it could have gone to. After a few minutes she gave up, figuring it would turn up sometime. She got changed for bed, catching herself grinning from ear to ear in the mirror more than once.

She wondered if Jerry was thinking about her right now.

* * *

Jareth opened the door of his apartment, and almost walked right back out again when he saw the uninvited guest in his living room. The apartment was small and dark, just the way Jareth liked things. In the gloom, he could see his visitor glaring at him angrily.

"This is a big mistake, yer Majesty." Hoggle said, standing there with his arms crossed defiantly.

"For the last time Higgle, will you stop calling me that?" He sighed, removing his glamour. He dressed more casually than he had done when he lived Underground, but his penchant for tight trousers had remained. Hoggle hated the fact he was on eye level with Jareth's crotch; there really was nowhere else to look.

"Hoggle! It's been years, ya must know my name by now!" He said irritably, and Jareth waved a dismissive hand. He was tired and wanted to sleep, not deal with hangers on from the Underground.

"Well it's been seven years since you first came to visit me up here, so you must know I'm not a King anymore!" Jareth spat in irritation. The dwarf hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"Sarah's gonna be mad when she finds out who yer really are."

"Well, she's not _going_ to find out." Jareth said firmly, flicking through the channels on the television. Hoggle watched him carefully; he didn't seem so scary anymore. He still looked like a Fae, yes, but he had been stripped of his title - and his powers seemed to have diminished from living Above for so long. "And if you hadn't turned up when I was on the phone to her, you wouldn't have found out either."

"Yer going to pretend to be a mortal forever?" Hoggle asked incredulously, hovering awkwardly by the large mirror Jareth kept near his front door as a portal to the Underground. Jareth himself was forbidden from entering the Underground on pain of death, but the portal still worked.

"If needs must." He shrugged. "I _love_ her, if you must know. I've waited seven years to find her again and I will not do anything to throw away the future I know we should have together. Shouldn't you be Underground? I'm sure your King will be angry if he finds you up here talking to the exile."

"I've been comin' every week since you left, he hasn't found out yet." Hoggle said indifferently. "I ain't afraid of him anyways. He ain't as scary as you."

"It's wonderful I left such a lasting impression on you, Haggle. Really, there's no need for you to come. I'm quite alright." Jareth replied stiffly; really, he appreciated the dwarf's care. Since his exile from the Underground, he had few visitors. He had made human friends, but they all bored him in the end.

"I'll be off then." Hoggle said, walking towards the full length mirror that served as a portal to the Underground. "See ya around, Jareth."

Jareth sighed, sitting up.

"Wait. Wait." He said relucantly, and Hoggle paused. This happened every time; he would pretend not to want to talk, and then end up making Hoggle stay for hours. "How is everything in the Labyrinth?"

"You never want to hear about the Labyrinth." Hoggle said in surprise.

"I want to hear about it now." Jareth said lightly, looking down at his nails as though he was incredibly bored. Hoggle hesitated, and Jareth looked up at him, and waved his hand expectantly. "Go on, Hedgerow."

"Not good." Hoggle admitted, not even bothering to correct his name this time, and Jareth raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" He asked gleefully, enjoying the thought of everything falling apart without him.

"It's dyin'. All the leaves are brown. Some areas have closed 'emselves off, nobody can get in. It's like it's getting harder, even for the folks who live there."

"It does that." He shrugged. The Labyrinth would take drastic measures to protect itself during times of perceived threat, and it just needed a firm talking to. However, it would still be adjusting to having a new leader and the whole thing would be chaos. "How's Rinat handling it?"

Jareth never spoke the name of the man who had replaced him, and Hoggle looked at him in surprise.

"He's angry." Hoggle shrugged. "Says we ain't takin' care of it properly. I'm waterin' it like normal, but nothing helps."

"If that fool knew anything about the Labyrinth, he would know that it's his fault. It will begin to die in times of turmoil. Let it wither, I say." Jareth said bitterly, knowing that the Labyrinth was entirely to blame for his current predicament.

"You can't say that! The Labyrinth is my home. Tell me how to fix it before we're all out of a home." Hoggle begged him, and Jareth shrugged indifferently.

"It's not my problem anymore, the Council made that quite clear. Let them fix it. You'll still have a home, it just won't be quite as green."

"It's like you don't care."

"I don't care. The Labyrinth turned it's back on me."

"It's not it's fault Sarah won." Hoggle pointed out. "You were meant to be in charge of it."

"It is the Labyrinth's fault! the bloody thing betrayed me. So did you, but let's not go into that, let bygones be bygones and all that. The Labyrinth let her win, knowing full well what would happen to me. That bastard thing." Jareth said bitterly, and Hoggle raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a hedge maze. You're mad at a bunch of leaves."

"You know it's more than that, Froggle." He said, cracking his knuckles to try and relieve the tension he felt. "Much more than that."

"Do you just lie around here all day and think of new, stupid names for me? Shouldn't you get a job?"

"It only takes a few minutes every day." Jareth said lightly. "I have a job. It's long and menial but I need the money. My magic only goes so far."

"Can'ts ya negotiate with the Council? Or yer father?" Hoggle asked, and Jareth shook his head.

"You think I haven't tried negotiating with them? My father agreed to this. I am done with the Underground, just as it is done with me. Besides, it's much more fun up here. According to human standards I am quite good looking, and there's no complication of titles."

"You haven't been with a woman for two years." Hoggle pointed out, much to Jareth's fury. "Yer living in a fantasy. Sarah doesn't want you, yer just torturin' yerself, yer Maj-Jareth."

"Well, considering an hour ago she was letting me kiss her, I would say it is very much real." Jareth replied angrily, standing up and pacing the little space there was. Hoggle looked a little uncomfortable at the mention of kissing. "Jealous, Hedgewart?"

"No! She doesn't know who yer are! You know the council wiped her memory!" Hoggle protested, and Jareth waved a dismissive hand. He didn't want to be reminded of the mess that had occured immediately after Sarah's victory over him.

"You're still blocked from all of her mirrors?" Jareth asked brusquely, pouring himself a glass of water. He didn't bother to offer Hoggle anything; he never did.

"We've given up tryin', but I think so. I only come up here to make sure yer still alive anyways." Hoggle told him.

"Oh, Heggle. I'm touched by your care." Jareth said, clutching a hand to his heart dramatically.

"I've known yer for years, you may not like to admit it but we're friends." Hoggle said, crossing his arms. Friendship was something that Sarah had introduced him to, and he hated to admit that his life had been better since he'd let other people in it.

"Are we? Bloody hell." Jareth looked discerningly down at the dwarf, as if wondering what his life had come to. He wouldn't admit it, but he was actually rather fond of the funny little man. Even if he was being a nag at this current moment.

"I hope yer nicer to Sarah than you are to me." Hoggle grumbled. "As soon as she remembers what you were like to her all those years ago, she'll run a mile."

"She doesn't need to know who I am, who I was. She needs to know who I am _now_ , how much I can love her. I don't want her to remember anything about the Labyrinth at all."

"If she finds out, she'll never speak to you again." Hoggle pointed out and Jareth glared at him.

"She's not going to find out." Jareth said haughtily, thinking that his plan was foolproof. Really, it wasn't even a deception. He wasn't Goblin King anymore, and he wasn't doing this to trick her in any way.

"Jareth, think this through. She falls in love with you, you get married, you have kids. What are ya going to do when your kids start conjurin' those crystals of yours and you never age?"

"I'll glamour myself to look older. The children's powers won't grow because there will be no magical stimulation for them up here. Anymore banal questions for me Jiggle, or can I go to sleep?" Jareth asked wearily. Now his magic had lessened, he got tired much more easily. When he was Underground, he only required a few hours sleep every night, but now he needed at least eight or he would get into a terrible mood.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'. Think carefully 'bout this. It's a big risk."

"I've been waiting seven years, I know all the risks. It's all I've been able to think about every damn day. If you're just going to come and put a dampener on my good mood, don't bother coming to see me anymore. I'd rather be alone than put up with a grouch, Hoggle."

"Jareth, just give it a few days. Think it through, please." Hoggle reasoned with him, and Jareth frowned, looking at him carefully.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"I just worry yer bein' too hasty. You've given up on the Underground, you should be tryin' to get yer throne back. Give it a couple of days, try and contact yer father, see how ya feel then." Hoggle implored him. It had been a few years since Jareth had tried to speak with his father; maybe it was worth another shot.

"Fine." Jareth said sullenly, admitting that Hoggle had a point. He had been so damned determined to find Sarah, he had been using her as a distraction from the fact his power had all but been stripped from him. He needed to try, one last time, to get his position back.

* * *

Monday went by with no phone call. Then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Sarah stared at the phone, willing it to ring. She had passed up on going out with Nikki, claiming she had studying to do. Really, she wanted to wait in in case Jerry decided to call. He had said he'd call, and he hadn't. Maybe she'd done something wrong. Maybe he was just a jerk.

About nine PM, just as Sarah was about to put on PJs and go to bed, the phone rang shrilly. Sarah practically pounced on it in her haste to pick it up.

"H-hello?" She answered, trying to sound casual. She sagged in disappointment when the voice on the other end was female.

"Sarah? It's Alice. I was wondering if you could come in tonight, do another shift. I know it's short notice, but I really need you. I've had another person drop out, and we're majorly understaffed."

"Uh, I don't know.." Sarah said hesitantly, not sure she wanted to see Jerry. If he hadn't called, it was for a reason, and it would just be awkward to have to see him all night.

"Please, I'm desperate. Jerry's gone off somewhere and hasn't been in all week, Christ knows if he'll be in tonight, and I still haven't found new staff I don't hate." Alice pleaded with her. "You'd be doing me a solid, I'd even give you fifteen bucks an hour."

"Fifteen bucks an hour?" Sarah queried. She really could use that much cash, especially on top of tips.

"Fine, twenty. And I'll pay for your cab down here if you can get here by nine thirty." Alice told her, sounding as though she'd do anything just for an extra pair of hands.

Sarah glanced up at the clock, trying to work out if she'd have enough time to get ready. It wouldn't take long, but traffic could be a little unpredictable at this time of night, as well as the wait to get a cab.

"Okay, I'll do it." She said after a couple of seconds, and she could hear Alice sigh with relief down the phone.

"Great. Great, you're a lifesaver. I'll see you here as soon as you can, alright?"

The phone went dead, and Sarah sighed. She got up, pulling the uniform she was going to return out of her backpack and shoving it on, quickly applying some makeup. She took a deep breath; she was so not in the mood for working in a busy bar.

She ran out of the door, and after a few minutes of standing in the middle of the road with her hand outstretched she managed to hail a cab. She sat in the back and watched the lights of the city whizz past, and tried to get her head in the right mindset for work.

"Sarah!" Alice called over the music when she walked in the door. It wasn't that busy in here yet, but it was starting to fill up. "Go put your stuff in the back, then come up here."

Sarah nodded, weaving her way through the busy tables and heading to the back room. She opened the door to the staff area, and her heart leapt into her mouth when she saw Jerry standing in there.

"Um, hey." She said uneasily, taking off her jacket and hanging it up. She put her backpack beside it, pinning her name badge on.

"Sarah." He drawled, and she felt herself turn red. Why did just the sound of her name coming from him make her feel all wobbly? It wasn't fair. "How are you?"

"Fine thanks." She said briskly. She eyed him warily; he looked as though he hadn't slept, his short hair sticking out at odd angles, with purple bags underneath his eyes. "You?"

"Not great. I've been snowed under all week, family problems." He said with a grimace, and Sarah felt guilty for thinking he was a jerk for not calling her.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, I hope everything's okay?" She asked, frowning. So that was why he hadn't called.

"Not yet, but it will be. Look, we better start work before Alice has a heart attack, but can I walk you home after we close? I should have called you, but time rather got away from me."

"Um, yeah. That would be great."

* * *

The bar filled up quickly, and Sarah got the feeling the Friday night crowd were rowdier than the last time she had been here. Drinks were flowing, and she was rushed off her feet trying to cope with the huge line of people thrusting money at her.

"Hold on one minute, I'll be right with you!" She called above the music, as one particularly gruff looking guy tried to shove a twenty dollar bill up her nose. She finished the previous order, and turned to the man who'd been trying to get her attention.

"Finally! What I have to do, sleep with you to get a drink?"

"Uh, no, just be patient. What can I get you?" She asked, hating this jerk already. He was leering at her cleavage, and she adjusted her shirt self conciously. From the corner of her eye, she could see Jerry watching her carefully.

"Two beers and your phone number." He yelled into her ear, and she wrinkled her nose. He smelt like beer and cigarettes, the combination on his breath making her feel a bit queasy. Guys hit on bartenders all the time, and Sarah just rolled her eyes.

"Two beers it is." Sarah said scathingly, grabbing two bottles from the fridge underneath the bar. She took the caps off and slammed them down on the bar. "Three dollars."

"Ah come on gorgeous, don't be like that." He said, sticking out his bottom lip in a pretend pout. This guy was a jerk.

"Three dollars. Thanks." She said again, hating the way this eyes lingered on her. She yelled in shock as he put his hand on her shirt, bunching the material in his fist and yanking her forward. "Hey! Let go of me you creep."

"Such a pretty thing and so little manners."

Sarah was about to punch the guy when he fell backwards. She blinked in shock; someone had done it for her. She looked up and saw Jerry, rubbing his fist.

"I'm sorry. I don't like men who treat women like that." He said over the music, as Alice glared at him.

"Jerry, get in the office. You okay Sarah?" She shouted over the music. "Give me two minutes and then you can take a break."

"Um, yeah I'm alright. Take your time."

Jerry walked into the office, still rubbing at his fist. Alice followed him in furiously.

"What the hell Jareth? You can't go around punching people! This is a workplace." Alice said, sitting on the edge of her desk. Jareth stood with crossed arms in front of her, looking unimpressed.

"He was about to assault one of your workers." He said irritably. "I had to step in."

"Sarah can handle herself! Honestly, you need to keep a level head. You can't just go around punching guys. I did you a favour giving you a job here and I won't have you mess it all up!" She yelled, standing up in anger. "You know your father's mad at me for even talking to you, don't make me regret it."

"I'm sorry alright. You know what my temper's like." Jareth apologised grudgingly, the word 'sorry' sticking in his mouth.

"Yes, I do and that's why I'm worried. You have more strength than a human, you know that. You may not have your magic at full power, but you're still a Fae! You could have killed him!"

"I didn't kill him. Are we done here Alice?" He drawled, looking at her witheringly.

"I'm serious Jareth-"

Just then the door opened, and Sarah stuck her head round apologetically.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt but there's something wrong with the cash register and Ella doesn't know how to fix it."

"I'm coming." Alice brushed past her and back into the bar.

"Jareth?" Sarah asked, frowning. Jareth could fill his heart pounding in his chest; if she head his name, would that trigger hidden memories? "Is that your real name? Jareth?"

His name on her lips was like a drug to him, and he wanted to make her say it over and over. But, he had an act to maintain and Jareth wasn't exactly a normal name. He wondered if he should lie and say it was some made up name, but that didn't exactly seem plausible.

"Yes, but I only get called it when I'm in trouble." He lied smoothly, not wanting her to say it too often. "I'm sorry for punching that guy, it just made me angry to see you being treated like that."

"I can look after myself, you know." She said softly, and she walked in to the office and hovered awkwardly in front of him, not knowing how close she should go to him. "Thank you though. I appreciate it."

He closed the gap between them and kissed her slowly, and she wrapped her arms around him. After a second, they broke apart.

"We should get back to work. Alice is already angry with me, I think catching me kissing you in her office might just tip her over the edge. I'll walk you home, so don't leave without me."

"Okay." Sarah smiled. "See you out there."

She smiled and left the room, and Jareth leaned back against the desk, exhaling. That was close. If she had been one second earlier, she would have heard Alice talking about his magic. He couldn't arouse her suspicion in anyway, he had to be plain old human Jerry.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm having a little rest after finishing my other story so updates might be weekly, but they'll be coming! Please review!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe you punched that guy." Sarah said with a laugh as they left the bar and walked onto the deserted street. It was quiet, and Sarah felt her voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"I can. My knuckles hurt. Nobody ever tells you how much it hurts to punch someone in the face." Jerry moaned, rubbing his hand. He dropped it down by her side, and Sarah smiled as his fingers edged towards hers, tentatively moving to hold them. She let him thread his fingers through hers, her heart fluttering as his thumb gently stroked the back of her hand.

"Maybe you shouldn't make a habit of it then." She said teasingly, leaning against his shoulder. "Thanks for walking me home. I appreciate it."

"I enjoy your company." He said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She smiled; such a gesture felt intimate and caring. They may have made out several times already, but it was the little things that made her heart jump. "Besides, I could use the walk. Clear my head, you know?"

"Is everything okay? I don't want to pry, but if you've been having a hard time.." Sarah said, wondering if she sounded nosy.

"My father has been causing me a few issues. It's ridiculous, I'm almost forty years old and my father expects me to answer him. It's all rather pathetic, I'd rather not go into it. I had to go and visit him to iron a few things out."

"You've been to London and back?" Sarah asked, frowning. "In a week?"

"Yes, it's not unheard of. I left on Monday and returned this morning. I'm sorry I couldn't call you, it was all a bit of a rush. I hope you're not cross with me."

"You don't have to apologise." Sarah said. "It's important things are okay with you, it doesn't matter about me."

"I was rather worried you'd think I wasn't interested." He said, unlacing his hand from hers and wrapping his arm around her waist instead.

"I, um, hadn't really thought about it." A blatant lie - she had thought of little else.

"Because I am, let me assure you." He purred, his voice a low growl in his throat. Sarah felt a jolt in her chest, his words catching her off guard. There was something about him, almost as though electricity crackled between them. Every touch made her skin feel as though it was on fire - even the sound of his voice ignited something within her she was reluctant to acknowledge.

"Really?" She asked, turning to face him. He looked down at her, his strange eyes piercing hers. They made him even more intense, making his face look as though he belonged to another world. The way he was staring at her made her feel like he was about to devour her; a hungry wolf eyeing a grazing sheep.

"Very interested indeed." He leaned down and kissed her softly, almost as though he was asking for permission. She wrapped her arms around him, running her fingers through his hair. He groaned into her mouth at the sensation of her fingers on his scalp, and she smiled.

A car honked it's horn, and Sarah realised they were standing in the middle of the street.

"Get outta the way!" An angry cab driver wound down his window and yelled at them. They jumped onto the sidewalk, and the driver shook his fist. "Get a room!"

"We should probably go." Sarah said, turning red. She didn't usually make a habit out of making out with guys in public, but he seemed to bring out the worst in her. She couldn't keep her hands off him, she wanted to touch him constantly. It was dangerous; she didn't like to let her heart rule her head.

"Sorry." He grinned at her, taking her hand and starting to walk again. "So, how's college going?"

"Good. I've got an audition for a play next week." She told him, realizing he didn't really know anything about her acting. She tended to do four or five plays a year, immersing herself in theatre. She wasn't good enough to be professional, but it was something she enjoyed too much to give it up.

"What play?" He asked with interest, though he wasn't looking at her. She looked up at him, the streetlight glinting off his face. He was all sharp angles, the shadows making him look even more unusual than he already did.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream." She said, realising she could picture him as a fairy - or maybe Puck. That mischievous smile and bewitching eyes were too much for a human, she thought with a smile. The way he made her feel couldn't possibly be human.

"They're putting that on in winter? Isn't that a little out of season?" He asked, frowning in a bemused way. Sarah laughed at his expression.

"That's what I said, but they wouldn't listen." She shrugged. "The Winter's Tale would be much more appropriate."

"What part are you going up for?"

"Titania, Queen of the Fairies." She told him, doing a little grand voice as a joke. She expected him to laugh, but he didn't.

A strange look passed over Jerry's face - it was only there for a fleeting moment, but she had seen it.

"You'd make a wonderful Queen." He told her sincerely, and she smiled. "I'm sure you'll get the part. Have you always enjoyed acting?"

"Yeah, I have." Sarah told him, remembering all the hours she had spent making terrible costumes and dramatically reading monologues in the park. "My mom's an actress, I guess it's rubbed off."

"What kind of actress?"

"West End, mainly. She's getting quite a name for herself on your side of the pond I hear, but I don't really talk to her that much." Sarah told him, her voice sounding a little stiff. He looked at her curiously, and she avoided meeting his eyes.

"Why?"

"Um, lots of reasons. We're two different people, I guess." Sarah told him, the blunt question making her feel on the spot. "She left when I was a kid, I didn't really see her much at all."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Jerry said softly, and she shook her head - as though that would shake away the bad memories.

"No, it's fine. Just kind of a sore subject, y'know?" She said lightly, trying to sound as though she didn't care.

"Parents often are." Jerry said bitterly, and Sarah remembered his own problems.

"I guess I don't have to tell you, huh? What's your dad like?" She asked him, and Jerry grimaced at the mention of his father.

"Strict. Particular. I'm somewhat of a disappointment, as you can imagine." He said, trying to make light of it but Sarah could see his mouth was set in a thin line.

"I can't imagine ever being disappointed in you." Sarah said softly, and he smiled at her.

"Thank you very much, Sarah Williams."

"I didn't think I told you my last name." She frowned, trying to remember if she had.

"I helped Alice fill in your employee form. I help with admin sometimes." He shrugged, and Sarah realized she didn't know his last name at all. It was strange, thinking about someone so much - and not even knowing who they were at the same time.

"I don't even know yours." She said apologetically.

"King." Jerry told her after a small pause, and she smiled.

"Jareth King." She rolled the name over her tongue. "Jareth. That's such an unusual name, but I feel like I've heard it before."

She felt his hand stiffen in hers, before relaxing again.

"It's an old family name, I've never met another Jareth." He told her quickly, and she could swear he sounded panicked. She looked up at him again, and for a moment it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. "My mother was somewhat eccentric, she thought it would suit me. As it was, the other children thought it was a ridiculous name."

"Who cares what kids think, right? They can be pretty cruel. I think it's a nice name." Sarah said; of course he had an unusual name, it made total sense.

"Thank you darling." He practically purred, the low tone of his voice going straight through her.

"Is you mother.." Sarah began, not knowing how to ask him if his mother was dead or not.

"She's no longer with us." He said, understanding her implied question. "She died a long time ago. I was around fifteen."

"I'm so sorry, that's horrible."

"It wasn't pleasant. But time has passed, and I find that it heals many wounds."

"I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Nonsense. It's a natural question. I think it made my father expect more from me, and I've sadly not lived up to expectations."

"What were his expectations?" Sarah asked carefully, not wanting him to feel like she was being invasive with her questions.

"That I end up exactly like him; married by thirty, heirs by thirty one, you know the type of man. He runs a successful business that I have absolutely no interest in taking over."

"Heirs?" She laughed. "You make it sound like you're a real king. What type of business is your dad in?"

"Land ownership mainly." He said briskly, not giving any more details.

"Oh right. That sounds pretty full on. My dad's a lawyer, he'd love for me to be one too. I have no desire at all to help people get divorced or sue Walmart because they stubbed their toe. It doesn't seem like my kind of thing."

"You want to write. You should do that."

"I don't know if I have much to write about. My life's been pretty boring, and they say write what you know. I'm not sure anyone would want a novel about buying groceries and holding your roommate's hair back while she vomits every Saturday night."

"Nonsense. I'm sure you've got quite an imagination."

"I used to. When I was a kid I used to make up plays and all that, but I can't seem to write anything anymore. When I was fifteen, I had that crazy dream I told you about the other night, about The Labyrinth - after that, I couldn't seem to make anything up in my head at all."

"What happened in the dream?" Jerry asked her with interest, and Sarah thought about whether she should tell him. She'd never told anyone about the dream before, worrying they'd think she was crazy. It had just seemed so _real._

"Oh, nothing much. It was just like I was in the Labyrinth, with these little creatures helping me. It was like I was the character in the story, and my brother had been stolen. Must have had too much cheese that night." She laughed.

"Who stole him?"

"This guy, the Goblin King. It's funny, that's the part I remember the least. I just remember the weird little guys in the Labyrinth. Anyway, that was years ago now. Funny how things like that stick with you, huh?"

"Indeed. I used to have a recurring nightmare the Queen of England was chasing me with an umbrella."

"Did she catch you?" Sarah asked, laughing. The image of Jerry being pursued by a little old lady wearing a crown was hilarious.

"No, thankfully I always woke up before I got a beating from Her Majesty." He said, grinning. His uneven teeth looked like fangs in the darkness - and more than ever, Sarah felt like his pray. The way he watched her intrigued her, like she was thoroughly desirable. It set her on edge, and made her want to jump all at the same time.

Sarah laughed, and she looked around, realising they were standing outside her apartment.

"Oh." She said, softly.

"I suppose this is goodnight." He said, moving to stand in front of her. He leaned down and kissed her softly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss, pushing her gently against the pillar next to the stoop's steps. It was almost four AM, the street empty, and Sarah just hoped nobody else would shout at them to get a room. He broke away from her lips and kissed his way from her jaw to her neck, and she shuddered.

"Do you want to come up?" She whispered so quietly he scarcely heard her. She was scared it was too soon, that she was rushing things - but at the same time, it felt so natural and so good she didn't want to fight it.

"Do you want me to?" He murmured quietly, looking at her cautiously.

"Um, yeah. Yeah I do."

"I don't want to rush you into anything, you know."

"I'm not a kid." She said self consciously, feeling the age gap between them for the first time. _I'm not a virgin_ was what she really meant, but she figured that would be pretty crass to say to a guy who currently had his crotch pressed firmly against hers.

"I know you're not. I just wanted to make sure." He could have been irritated by her comment, but instead he just sounded amused. "I know we haven't known each other long."

"I mean, if you think it's too soon.." Sarah stammered, blushing with embarrassment. "I should probably go."

"Sarah, I didn't mean that. I just wanted to make sure you don't regret this tomorrow, that's all." He ran a finger down her face tenderly, and kissed her again. "I don't want to ruin this. That's all."

"Ruin it? Why would you ruin it?" She asked him, confused. Most guys would jump at the opportunity to be invited into her apartment (and by implication, her bed) but here Jerry was actually taking time to think about what would happen afterwards.

"I don't know. I've never been good with relationships, and I know that I'd never want to hurt you. I care for you a great deal already, Sarah. I know it hasn't been long and we still hardly know each other. There's just something there. I don't know if you feel it too, or if I'm just an old fool."

"I feel it." She admitted quietly. "I thought it was just me."

"Not at all." He said with a smile. "How about I take you out tomorrow? It's late, I'm sure we're both tired."

"Okay, that sounds nice." She said, smiling. He moved back from her, and she stepped away from the wall, rubbing her back where the brickwork had been digging in.

"Wonderful, shall I come and pick you up around one? Are you working tomorrow night?"

"Alice asked me to before we left, yeah."

"Then I will walk you home tomorrow night as well. I'll see you tomorrow Sarah."

"Okay." She said, smiling as he kissed her again. After a moment, he finally tore himself away from her and gave her a little wave.

"I'll watch you in." He said, nodding at her to go up the steps.

"Aren't you a perfect gentleman?"

"I try, I try."

She walked up the steps, digging around in her bag for her keys. She unlocked the door, and turned around to wave at him. As he began to walk away, she shut the door and leaned heavily against it. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her breathing a little heavy.

She was falling in love, she could tell.

* * *

Jareth walked down the street, grinning from ear to ear. It was going so well, he could scarcely believe it. It had taken every ounce of self control that he possessed not to go up to her apartment, but he was determined to take his time. He had waited so long for this that he wouldn't do a thing wrong.

Her mention of her 'dream' of the Labyrinth had caught him off guard, and despite not wanting to dislodge any hidden memories, he couldn't resist asking her for more details. It had stung him a little that she had no memory of him at all - but, he supposed, that had been the intention of the council.

The past few days had been a nightmare; he had demanded an audience with his father, a last ditch attempt to get his throne back. He wasn't even sure if he wanted it now - the last seven years had been consumed with obsession. Sarah was one, and his throne was another. Being kicked out of the Underground was more painful than he had imagined - not only because he had lost everything he had ever known and was forced to live in a strange world he didn't fully understand, but because (at least at first) the Above was literally killing him.

Iron was fatal to Fae, and even now it suppressed his power. He had grown some kind of immunity to it, and New York was full of the stuff. He should have left, but when he had tracked Sarah down to this city, he knew he had to bide his time and wait in this metal prison.

Talking to his father had been one big waste of time - his banishment still stood. He had threatened the entire Underground by letting a human defeat him, belittle him - how could he expect to have his throne after that, his father had asked. No Fae would respect him, he would have no authority as King.

The fact that the Labyrinth was dying without him was ignored. If the Labyrinth died, Jareth knew there would be more problems than he had let on to Hoggle, but he was so furious with the damn thing he didn't care. Let it die.

Now that bridge was well and truly burned, Jareth could focus on his human life. It wasn't so bad, really. Yes, he had little money and few luxuries, but his circle of friends was big. The Fae were surprisingly liberal with their banishment, and the exiles all stuck together.

Alice was his cousin, banished when she fell in love with a mortal hundreds of years before. He was long dead now, and she lived on. That was something that terrified Jareth - the cruelty of giving your heart to someone who would only be alive for a tiny fraction of his immortal life. Gone in the blink of an eye.

He couldn't think about that now. He was determined to be happy, and he knew that Sarah would make him happy, and that he would spend her life trying to make her happy in return.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all your lovely reviews. Is there anything you would like to see in the story? Just let me know! Sorry if updates are a little slow, I'm not very well at the moment so I'm writing when I can. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Please note the rating change. It's non explicit, but I think it would violate the T rating. The sexy stuff happens after the third cut (including the one after this note) and will be finished by the forth cut, if you want to skip it.**

* * *

"So you invited him in and practically offered yourself to him on a plate, and he said no?" Nikki asked. Both girls had just woken up, even though it was noon. Sarah had the excuse of working late - Nikki had been out at a party until six. They were both still in PJs, hair matted and eyes full of sleep.

"Not the way I'd put it, but yes." Sarah said through gritted teeth, buttering a piece of toast. "It's gentlemanly, I think."

"Hmm." Nikki said, sipping at her coffee and staring at Sarah over the rim of the cup.

"Hmm?" Sarah asked, taking a bite and narrowing her eyes. "What does hmm mean?"

"First of all, you're spraying crumbs everywhere." Nikki said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Secondly, he must either not be interested or really like you. How many guys do you know that would turn down the chance to get into your pants but still arrange to see you the next day?"

"Not many." Sarah admitted. "Especially not jerks our age. He said he thinks there's something between us and he doesn't want to ruin it."

Nikki squealed, making her cup of coffee slosh over the sides. She yelped as the hot liquid hit her legs, but still focused on her roommates love life. That was true friendship; not even mild burns could distract her.

"This is so exciting! I'm so happy for you."

"Why? Nothing's happened yet. We're not even officially dating."

"Not yet. So when are you gonna sleep with him?"

"I don't know! When it feels right, I guess."

"Don't forget, condoms under the sink."

"Nikki, you're gross. Just stop."

"Sorry."

"Maybe I should just take it slow. What's the rush, right?"

"I don't know how you can keep your hands off him. There's something about him..something, I don't know. Irresistible."

"Hands off." Sarah said irritably, biting her toast rather aggressively. "He's mine."

"He's yours now, is he?" Nikki grinned. "You're really falling for this guy, aren't you?"

"I hardly know him!" Sarah protested, as Nikki looked completely skeptical.

"When you know, you know." She shrugged infuriatingly. "It's in your face, you can't stop smiling. So when's he swinging by?"

"One. We're going to hang out for a bit, then we've got work later." Sarah said,

"Oh, it's all we. This is how it starts, soon you'll forget I ever existed." Nikki put her hand to her forehead as if fainting dramatically, and Sarah threw a crust at her. "Do I get to meet him?"

"You've already met him. And as you apparently find him so irresistible, maybe not."

"I was only kidding. You know I'd never do that. Girl code."

"I know. Maybe when I know what's happening."

"Maybe I'll see him tomorrow morning for breakfast." Nikki said, grinning wickedly.

"Shut up!"

"Don't pelt me with any more bread, I'm trying to avoid carbs." Nikki held her hands up in surrender. "I promise, I'll be nice to him. Just do what makes you happy, Sar. It'd be nice to see you let your barriers down for once."

"I don't have barriers!" She protested, much to Nikki's chagrin.

"Babe, I love you, but you have so many walls up you may as well be in construction."

"Thanks so much for your opinion." Sarah said sarcastically, opening the fridge just so she didn't have to look at her roommate and discuss her personal demons. "Can you stop?"

"I'm serious Sarah. Let someone in for a change. Jerry's a nice guy, I know he is. He won't hurt you." Nikki said softly, wondering if it was too early in the day for deep discussion of her friend's emotional issues. Normally these types of conversations took place in nightclub bathrooms at 3am, fueled entirely by vodka.

"I don't believe that." Sarah said quietly.

"You've never had a proper boyfriend the whole time I've known you. Just the odd guy every now and then." Nikki said, and Sarah felt herself bristle. There had been guys who had tried to get close to her, but something had stopped her every time they suggested being official.

"I don't need a boyfriend to complete me." Sarah said defensively. "I'm happy on my own."

"I know you are. But you like this guy and I don't want you to run away just because you're scared of getting hurt. That's no way to live your life." Nikki said, looking at Sarah carefully. Sarah shrugged indifferently.

"Yeah, thanks Oprah. I can do without the Saturday morning psycho-analysis if you don't mind." She said snippily. She saw Nikki's face, and sighed. "I'm sorry alright. You know I'm not good at this whole thing. I just feel like this is all gonna blow up in my face."

"You need to relax a little. What could go wrong?"

"I just feel like I know him already, like I shouldn't trust him." Sarah said thoughtfully, vocalizing something she hadn't even realised she felt. "I don't even know where that came from. It's like an instinct."

"You feel like you shouldn't trust him? If it's that bad, maybe you shouldn't see him." Nikki frowned, looking genuinely concerned. "Has he done something to deserve you feeling like that?"

"No, he hasn't done anything wrong! I'm just freaking out I think."

"Go get dressed, put something nice on and just chill out. You have an hour before he gets here, if you still feel off before that just call him and cancel, or go have a nice afternoon and see what happens. Just stop overthinking." Nikki said, swishing her long blonde hair. She made everything sound so simple - Nikki never allowed herself to get so bent out of shape over a guy.

"Yeah. Yeah you're right." Sarah admitted, dumping her plate in the sink and washing her hands. She looked over at Nikki. "Will you help me decide what to wear?"

"Of course." Nikki smiled. "As long as you promise me that you're gonna chill out."

"Okay. Okay, I'll chill out." Sarah sighed, her shoulders sagging in a vague attempt to show some relaxation.

"Great. You can borrow my new shirt, it'll look great."

* * *

An hour later, Sarah examined her appearance critically in the mirror. Nikki stood behind her, grinning. She was dressed casually, as normal, but Nikki had insisted she wear a top that didn't look as though a fat guy was the previous owner. It was a simple purple v neck, with long sleeves and a little satin around the collar. Sarah wasn't used to seeing her figure, favouring baggy clothes over anything else.

"You look so great." Nikki told her enthusiastically, watching as Sarah pulled down the shirt awkwardly. Nikki slapped her hands away, tutting at her. "Don't do that, unless you want to get your tits out in the middle of the day."

"Ugh, you're so gross. Are you sure this looks alright? It's not too much?"

"No, it's perfect. You're wearing jeans, jeans are always casual."

The buzzer went, and both girls jumped. Sarah looked at her friend, biting her lip.

"You look great. Go on, go have a nice afternoon. Just so you know, I'm heading out in about an hour. So the apartment will be empty. All afternoon. Just in case."

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "I'll see you later."

She walked down the stairs, trying to stay calm. Really, she was worrying over nothing. She was in complete control of her feelings.

Then she saw him, his back turned to the door and a plume of smoke above his head, and her heart raced and her palms felt sweaty. He turned around, cigarette dangling from his lips, and grinned at her. She couldn't help but smile back as her nerves melted away.

"Hi." She said, still adjusting her shirt awkwardly, before remembering Nikki's warning. She smoothed it out, trying to act naturally.

"Hello darling." He stubbed the cigarette out on the stone rail of the stairs, and leaned down to kiss her gently. He looked up, checking they weren't being watched. He kissed her softly, then pulled away. "Your charming roommate out today?"

"No, she's been banned from the window." Sarah said, smiling as they walked down the steps hand in hand. "On pain of death."

"Glad to hear it. What do you feel like doing?" He asked, placing a gentle kiss on her hair.

"I don't mind." Sarah said, shrugging. "Maybe we could walk for a bit, Nikki's heading out so if you wanted I could make you some lunch afterwards."

The words had come out before Sarah could stop them, and she turned beet red. She was inviting him back to her apartment, and after what had almost happened last night, it was clear what her intentions were.

"That sounds lovely." He said politely, making no other comment. They walked for a while in comfortable silence, his hand firmly in hers. His thumb traced along hers, tracing patterns lazily. She smiled at the sensation; it was something so small, but it was reassuring and tender.

"So, what are your hobbies?" Sarah asked after a while.

"I like to read, I paint." He shrugged, clearly trying to think of what he did in his spare time.

"You do? That's cool. What kind of things?" Sarah asked; she hadn't had him down as an artist.

"I find myself doing a lot of landscapes since living here. The buildings lend themselves well to being painted, especially by someone with little patience. I find it relaxing."

"I always wished I could paint. I can just about stretch to a stick figure." She said with a laugh, and Jerry laughed along with her.

"You can act though. That's a form of expression in itself. I'd love to see you perform."

"Well, if I get this part, maybe you could come along." She wondered if this sounded too committal - it was a while away of course, and they might not even be seeing each other by then. "You know, if you want to. You don't have to, I mean it won't be for a few months and maybe-"

"Sarah." He interrupted her with a smile. "It's fine. I would love to come and see your play. A few months isn't far away, and I certainly hope we'll still be seeing each other then. You need to relax, if you don't mind me saying so. I mean you no harm."

"I know. I'm sorry, I guess you make me feel a little flustered." She admitted, as they came to a stop by a crossing. He looked at her, head tilted to one side. She couldn't read his expression, but if she had to try she was guess - predatory. He looked as though he would devour her, and it sent a pleasant tingle through her body.

"I'm sorry." He said smoothly, stroking hair from her face, his movements slow and deliberate. Teasing. "I don't mean to make you flustered. I hope you don't find it unpleasant."

"No." Sarah squeaked as his hand brushed down her neck and down her arm, before holding her hand again. "No, I like it."

"Good." He said with a small, satisfied smile.

* * *

"Nikki?" Sarah called out as she pushed the door open, Jerry trailing behind her. There was a note on the kitchen table, and Sarah walked over to it and picked it up. Nikki had scrawled on it in her huge handwriting, decorating the page with hearts.

 _"Gone out. Change of plan - I'll be back tomorrow. Don't forget - under the sink. Play safe!"_

Sarah felt her face flush, and she balled the piece of paper up before he could see it. She looked behind her to see where he was, and jumped a little when saw Jerry standing right above her shoulder.

"What's under the sink?" He asked conversationally, nodding down at the now illegible note in her hand. She turned bright red, cursing how easily her face gave her emotions away.

"N-nothing." Sarah stammered, throwing the note into the trash. "Just Nikki being dumb."

"So, Nikki's out?" He asked with a small smile, his hands moving to her waist. He moved her hair out of the way, pressing gentle kisses to her neck. Her eyes snapped shut instantly, a smile spreading across her face.

"Uh huh. Until tomorrow." She said, turning around and lifting his head. She kissed him firmly, running her hands through his hair. He clutched at her back, kissing her back as though his life depended on it. She was pushed against the table, and he lifted her up on top of it. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. Their tongues met furiously, and Sarah curled her fingers into his scalp. He groaned into her mouth.

His hands trailed from her back up to her collar bones, as if asking for permission to go lower. She bit his lip gently, and was rewarded with a hesitant hand on her chest. He rested his hand there for a moment, his mouth stilling for a moment. She opened her eyes and looked at him; his own eyes were shut, screwed up so tightly Sarah could see all the little wrinkles by his eyes.

"Are you alright?" She whispered against his mouth, and he opened his eyes slowly.

"Yes, sorry." He murmured, kissing her softly. His hand began to move, and she felt her heart race under his touch. She broke away from him, kissing her way to his ear.

"My bedroom's over there." She said softly, running her fingers up his neck. He shuddered, and looked at her with darkened eyes.

"Is it?" He asked with interest, his hand stroking down her side gently. Every touch was teasing, purposefully torturous, and she loved it. She felt like she was on fire. "May I see it?"

"I insist." She told him, in what she hoped was something vaguely resembling a seductive manner.

He lifted her from the table, her legs still wrapped tightly around him. He carried her as though she weighed nothing, kicking open the door she had pointed to, their lips never separating from one another. He dropped her down onto her bed, and she pulled him down on top of her. He leaned on his elbows, putting a little room in between their bodies, until she pushed him down and wrapped her arms around him so he was flat on top of her.

"Demanding, aren't we?"

Sarah answered him with a fierce kiss, her hands tugging at his hair roughly. He snaked his hand up her sweater, his hand resting on the lacy material of her bra. Her breath hitched, and she shut her eyes as he moved down her, pulling her top up.

Suddenly, he froze. Sarah looked at him with a confused expression on her face; he was looking at her mirror.

"Are you alright?" She asked nervously.

"I have to go." He rolled off of her quickly, and she sat up in confusion. Things had been going so well, and now he was literally rushing to get away from her. She didn't understand.

"What?!" She asked, frowning. "You're leaving?"

"I'm sorry, I've just remembered I have to go and do - a - thing."

"Have I done something wrong?" She asked, biting her lip and watching as he stood up in a panic. She couldn't help but notice that, if the front of his pants was any indication, he had certainly been enjoying himself up until now.

"No!" He said, a little too emphatically. "No, I'm sorry, it's me. I'll see you at work tonight."

He practically ran out of the apartment, and Sarah sat back on her bed and exhaled. She was so confused; things seemed to be going so well, and all of a sudden he just up and left. She felt her face flush with embarrassment; she must have done something wrong.

* * *

"Hogbrain!" Jareth roared, standing in his own apartment, in front of the mirror by the front door. He had waited a moment before calling his stupid 'friend', allowing himself to calm down. Of all the times for Sarah's mirror to suddenly be working, it had to be then.

"Yer called?" Hoggle asked, stepping through the mirror and into the apartment.

"What the hell do you think you were doing? I told you to leave Sarah alone!" Jareth said furiously. "You are not to interfere!"

"We was just checkin'." He said sheepishly, unable to look Jareth in the eye. "We didn't knows you'd be there."

"We? Who is we?" Jareth asked him, his voice low and dangerous. He may not be King anymore, but he was still terrifying when he was in a temper like this.

"Didymus and Ludo." Hoggle said quietly, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I only saw you. I told you that you were to leave her alone! She doesn't remember you, and I doubt your King would be too pleased to know you were interfering with Above! Honestly, if I could you would be neck deep in the Bog by now."

"We wanted to make sure she was okay! It's bin so long since we's seen 'er."

"I told you she was okay! Honestly, as if disobeying me wasn't enough. You chose to disobey me when I was finally, finally in her bed. Do you know how long I've dreamed of being that close to her?"

"I don'ts wants to know." Hoggle said, crossing his arms and wrinkling his large nose in disgust. "We wonts do it again. I'm sorry."

"Good. If you do it again, I will have no mercy. I look like a fool, she's going to think I'm not interested in her." Jareth said, rubbing his temple in frustration.

"Just go back and apologize to 'er." Hoggle shrugged.

"I can't go back now, I'll look ridiculous." Jareth said, pacing around his apartment. He could never keep still when he was thinking. The memory of Sarah's soft skin underneath his fingertips was taunting him, and all he wanted was to be back with her.

"You loves her. Why do you care what you look like? You play too many games, that's yer problem."

"Thank you for the romantic advice, Hogwart. It is much appreciated. Now get out."

Hoggle dutifully passed back through the mirror, and Jareth waved a hand to close it. He had no idea how he could explain his actions to Sarah; there was no explaining running out of the door. It would look bad, and he knew she'd be blaming herself. She wasn't the same confident youngster she had been; she had been hurt, he could see it in her eyes, and she clearly had problems letting herself go completely. He needed to earn her trust, and running out like that was not the way to go about it.

He would fix it. He had to fix it.

* * *

 **A/N: I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the new M rating - what would you like to see? I had a lot of messages on my other story asking for the rating to go up, but I didn't feel like it would fit. I'm happy to write lemons (I love reading them) but if people don't want them, I won't.**

 **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You all wanted lemons, so warning for sexual situations between two consulting adults.**

* * *

Sarah stepped out of the shower, rubbing her hair with a towel. She felt the familiar sting of humiliation in her chest - she had been so sure they were about to..well, you know, and then he ran off like she was the worst person in the world.

Maybe there was a valid reason, she thought. He had seemed so interested.

Just as she walked out into the living room, the buzzer went off, making her jump. She walked over to it and lifted the reciever.

"Hello?" She asked, twirling the chord round her finger.

"Sarah?" She froze; it was Jerry. "Can I come up?"

"Um, yeah. Sure." She pressed the buzzer, before realizing she was completely naked. She hastily wrapped the towel she had been using on her hair round her, wondering if she had time to get dressed. Less than five seconds after she'd pressed the buzzer, there was a knock at the door.

She opened it cautiously, poking her head round. He was standing there, leaning against her door frame with a casual smile on his face. How did he always look so good? She was suddenly very conscious of her wet, straggly hair and the fact she was pretty much naked.

"What did you do, run up the stairs?!" She asked, wondering how he could have possibly got from the front door to here so damn quickly. "I'm sorry, I was just getting out of the shower."

"I've come to apologise." He said, holding out a bunch of tulips. Her favorite. He thrust them out to her, and she clutched the towel with one hand and took the flowers with another.

"Come in." She said awkwardly, trying to hide behind the door. "I'll get dressed. Thank you for the flowers - tulips are my favorites."

"I thought we could walk to work together." He said as he watched her dart into her bedroom and shut the door. "In a couple of hours."

"Yeah, great." Sarah called out, almost falling over as she shoved her legs into a pair of underwear frantically, whilst trying to do the hook up on her bra at the same time. "Um, feel free to help yourself to whatever."

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" He asked. It was funny, his voice was so clear it was as though he was in the room with her.

"Um, no, thanks. There's wine in the fridge if you want some of that, but I guess we're working later." Sarah said, as she wrenched the purple shirt she had been wearing earlier over her head. She wondered if it would be rude to dry her hair.

"Even better." She could hear the clatter of cabinets being opened and shut, and clinking as he found the wine glasses.

Deciding against drying her hair, Sarah tied her long, damp locks into a bun on top of her head. She looked a little mad with a huge pile of dripping wet hair on her head, but it was better than nothing. She opened the door, and found Jerry on the other side, glass of wine held out to her.

"You look nice." He said, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"Thanks." She said a little stiffly, remembering the embarrassment of having him run out on her with little explanation. "So do you."

He was in his work clothes, with his hair slicked back off his face. He looked diffrent like this; pointier was the only word that came into Sarah's mind. His face was all sharp angles and those bewitching eyes. Black suited him; it brought out the ice blue colour of his funny eye. She looked down and saw that he was just wearing socks; his shoes were neatly placed by the front door. Must be an English thing - either that, or he was assuming he would need to remove his shoes at some point.

"I really am sorry about earlier. I know how dreadful it must have looked. I realized my father had demanded that I ring him, and I got all of the time differences mixed up in my head and I was already ten minutes late." He said, a hand outstretched to rub the back of her hand softly.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" She asked, taking a sip of wine. "I would have understood. I, um, thought maybe I'd done something wrong."

"No, darling. It was my fault, I know I've cocked it up. I hope you can forgive me." He asked, his voice smooth and teasing. She wanted to push him to the floor and jump on top of him right then.

"There's nothing to forgive." She said, and he leaned down to kiss her softly. She wrapped her arms around him, forgetting about the glass of wine in her hand. They kissed gently, almost hesitantly, for several minutes until Jerry stopped. She frowned and tried to pull away, but he kept her there.

"Sarah." He mumbled against her lips. "Move the glass, you're dripping sauvignon blanc all down my back."

"Shit! Sorry!" Sarah said, unwrapping herself from him and placing the glass on the table. He pushed her gently back against the table, and suddenly everything felt very familiar. He lifted her on top of it so their faces were level, and he looked at her for what felt like forever, before something snapped. They both moved their heads towards each other, and within a second were kissing furiously.

Her hands scraped at his back to take off his jacket, which he threw behind him. She groaned as his hand slid up her shirt, cold against the still damn skin of her stomach. He pulled her closer, and she wrapped her legs tightly around him, making him groan into her mouth.

"Bedroom." She murmured, as she toyed with the buttons of his shirt. "Take me into the bedroom."

He did as she bid him, lifting her up and carrying her to the bedroom, pressing her against the wall. He kissed her hungrily, his tongue meeting hers. She felt overwhelmed by his kisses, as though he would consume her. Her lips tingled, every inch of her body felt like it was on fire with desire for him. And judging by something hard pressing into her thigh, he felt the same.

"Bed." She said, not sure she could manage more than one syllable right now. He moved her to the bed, lying on top of her gently. The kisses grew less frantic and more tender, and he ran his hands softly up the flat plain of her stomach, coming to rest on her bra. Sarah stiffened; this is exactly where things had gone wrong last time. This time, however, he pushed the material side, gently caressing her with his hand. She sighed in pleasure as he found her nipple and pinched it gently between his fingers.

He moved his hand away and she groaned, and he grinned wickedly down at her. He pulled her top up, and she sat up to help him lift it over her head. He unclasped her bra, tossing it to one side. Her hands immediately went to cover herself, and he pushed them down.

"No, darling. You're beautiful, let me see you." He said softly, and she felt herself blush. As it was, her hands were quickly replaced by his own. They were in a half sitting position, and Sarah took the chance to kiss his neck, trailing kisses down to his collar. She undid his shirt buttons, her fingers fumbling slightly, and pushed it off his shoulders. He moved his hands for just a second to shake it away, before wrapping his arms around her neck and lying them both down.

The feeling of his smooth, slightly cold, skin on hers was delicious, and he buried his face in her neck. His hands still roamed around her chest, but they were slowly moving lower. Her breath hitched as he undid the button on her jeans.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, looking her in the eyes. He was frowning a little, and looked genuinely concerned that she was uneasy.

"Yeah." She breathed, her voice sounding shaky and unsure. He ran a hand down the side of her face, and she leaned into it. "Yeah, I'm great."

He kissed her again, softly until she took his lip between her teeth. He kissed her hard then, and she gasped as his hand slipped between her jeans and her underwear, caressing her gently. All thoughts flew from her head, and she moaned loudly as his fingers found her most sensitive spot. His breathing was growing more ragged, and he hesitantly teased the fabric aside, forgetting to breathe when he was finally touching her bare skin.

Sarah groaned into his mouth as his fingers gently explored her, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. Her eyes were shut, her breaths fast and uneven. He moved away from her lips, kissing down her neck and trailing down her body using just his tongue. When he reached her belly button and his hands began to push her underwear down, she sat up abruptly.

"No." She whispered, pulling him back up to her face. His hand was still firmly between her legs, one finger almost inside her. He looked at her for a second, frowning slightly.

"No?" He asked simply, and she shook her head.

"Just..not that." She said awkwardly, and he shrugged and kissed her fiercely instead. His free hand pushed her last remaining pieces of clothing down, and she wriggled out of them enthusiastically. Her hands went to his own waistband, undoing his belt and pushing his trousers over his hips.

He wasn't wearing underwear.

"Sorry." He apologized, looking a little embarrassed. "I never wear it, I'm not just incredibly presumptive."

"That's okay. Um, I'll be right back." She said, getting out from underneath him. She grabbed the towel form the floor and wrapped it around herself quickly.

"It's not your turn to run out on me is it?" He asked, a wry smile on his lips as he watched her. He made no attempt to cover himself, but kicked off his trousers and removed his socks. Men were rarely as self conscious as women when naked.

"No, I just, um, need to get something." She said, the word 'condom' sounding hideously unromantic.

"From under the sink?" He asked, almost laughing.

"Uuhuh." She said, darting out of the room before he could say anything else. This was ridiculous; she was a modern woman who was responsible for her own health, she shouldn't be turning red just because she wanted to protect herself. She grabbed one from underneath the sink (Sarah hadn't looked there before, but Nikki kept enough condoms in there Sarah wondered if she was working on the side as a Sex Ed teacher) and went back into her bedroom.

Jerry was sitting up, a pillow placed over his midsection - perhaps he did have some shame after all. He reached a hand out to her, pulling her to sit beside him. He kissed her gently, moving her hands from the towel and letting it fall down. He took the little foil packet from her, placing it behind him. He wrapped his arms around her and lowered her onto the bed again, getting rid of the pillow. She could feel him against her thigh, and her mind cleared. She wanted him, she wanted this.

His hand was teasing her again, and he slid one finger inside her. She gasped, biting her lip so hard she wouldn't be surprised if it was bleeding. He kissed her softly, matching the rhythm of his finger with his kisses. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, her sharp nails digging in to the skin. He hissed in pained pleasure, increasing his speed and making her gasp unrelentingly. She could only focus on the sensations he was making her feel, her toes curling as he found the perfect spot.

"Now." She breathed, kissing him hard. "I want you now."

He took his fingers away, and lowered himself fully onto her. He looked at her, and his gaze was so intense she felt her heart race. He looked at her as though she was art, something truly exquisite. Then, he was inside her, and she stopped thinking.

"Sarah." He groaned, burying his face in her neck and biting her shoulder. There were no words after that, just guttural moans coming from both of them. There was nothing to say, only overwhelming sensations that Sarah was sure couldn't be normal. She felt every nerve ending in her body, as though she was properly awake for the first time in her life. He was gentle at first, but after a few minutes their hips rolled into one another at an alarming speed. She could feel something building inside her, and as he bit down on her earlobe and slammed his hips into hers, she let herself go.

Sarah saw stars.

He groaned in pleasure as she tightened around him, but the thing that sent him over the edge was unexpected.

"Jareth!" She cried out, raking her nails across his shoulders in ecstasy.

He came instantly, with her name on his lips, gripping her shoulders just to have something to hold on to. Sarah had never felt something so intense in her entire life; she thought moments like this only happened in romance novels.

After a moment, he lay beside her, taking her in his arms and pressing a kiss to her damp forehead.

"Wow." She said, the first word that came to mind.

"Wow." He agreed, his chest rising and falling faster than could be healthy for him. She let her fingers play with the downy hair on his chest, her head resting on his shoulders. He spoke again, his voice sounding a little strained. "You called me Jareth."

"Did I?" She asked, frowning. "I can't remember. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm just surprised you remembered it. I rather liked it, coming from you. No pun intended." He said, grinning smugly.

She hit him playfully, and he kissed her. When he released her, he looked down at her.

"We've got work soon." He said reluctantly, looking at the clock she kept by her bed. They had half an hour before they were due at the bar, and they would have to get a cab if they were going to be on time.

"I know." Sarah said, still breathless. "I don't want to go."

"We have to darling." He said, drawing lazy circles on her back with one hand.

"Will you walk me home later?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course."

"Will you, um, stay?" She asked so quietly, afraid he would say no; afraid this was just a one time thing, no matter how many times he assured her that he was really interested in her. Men were always so fond of using pretty words to get what they wanted.

"If you want me to." He said with a smile, kissing her damp hair. He pulled her closer to him. He was still ice cold, Sarah thought. You'd think that he would have warmed up a bit after all that.

"I want you to. I mean, if you want to.."

"Sarah, it must be quite clear how I feel about you by now. You don't need to worry about saying the wrong thing. Just say whatever comes into your head. That's what I do, it's worked so far in my life. I would highly recommend it." He said easily, and Sarah got the impression that he never really worried about anything.

"What's in your head right now?" She asked, leaning on one elbow to look at him. His eyes twinkled, a mischievous grin on his lips.

"I was just thinking about whether or not we have time for one more before we have to leave."

* * *

"Jareth, you're early." Alice was in the staff area when Jareth walked in, and she almost choked on her coffee in surprise.

"Am I? There's only ten minutes to go, you needn't sound so shocked Alice. You've always been so dramatic, cousin." He said easily, taking off his jacket and hanging it up.

"Still, you're normally always at least an hour late. To what do I owe the privilege?" Alice asked sarcastically, and Jareth rolled his eyes.

Sarah came through the door a moment later, her hair having been hastily blow dried before they left, but still sticking up in crazy angles around her face. She said hello to Alice, avoiding Jerry's gaze entirely, and hung up her stuff and went out into the bar, mumbling something about cutting lemons.

Alice smiled knowingly, looking at Jareth with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, I see." She said, arms crossed and looking her cousin up and down. He scowled at her.

"Shut up."

"She's sweet. Too sweet for you, you know." Alice pointed out. "You're a bit of a bastard when you want to be."

"I'm aware, thank you Alice." Jareth said flippantly, lighting a cigarette. He offered one to Alice, who took it and lit it using just her finger. She possessed the power of fire, a handy little trick. It was also why her hair was so short - years of accidentally singing it had meant keeping it short was the only way she didn't burst into flames.

"Jareth, do you know what you're doing?" She asked, her tone serious now. "I wouldn't like to see her get hurt. You either, but she's just a young thing."

"Would you stop calling me by my real name?" He hissed quietly, eyes darting to the door to make sure Sarah wasn't nearby. "I don't want her to use it too much."

"It's just your name, what's the problem?" Alice asked, frowning. Jareth paused; he hadn't told her the full situation, and as far as Alice knew he'd never even met Sarah before she started working at the bar. It was all a beautiful coincidence; he had never expected Sarah to just turn up like this.

"Alright, Aliciriana." He said, a smug smile on her lips. She turned red; she had always hated her name, ever since they were children - however long ago that was.

"Oh no. You did not just full name me." She hissed at him, looking like a furious cat.

"I did. So stop calling me Jareth all the damn time, alright?" He said finally. "And don't worry about Sarah. I won't hurt her. I would never hurt her. Can I go now, or are you just going to pass more comment on things you know nothing about?"

"Fine, go. I mean it though, you know how messy things get when Fae interfere with mortals." Alice said, and Jareth looked at her carefully. She was avoiding his eyes, fiddling with a fingernail instead.

"Understood." Jareth said, walking out the door without a second glance.

Sarah was at the bar, cutting lemons like she'd said. She looked up as he came in, immediately looking back down at the cutting board. She had a grin all over her face, and she looked beautiful. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She gave him a quick pat on the hand before returning to her work. He leaned down and took her earlobe between his teeth, biting down gently. She shivered against him.

"Come love, not gone all shy on me have you?" He whispered huskily into her ear, and it was all she could do to not turn around and jump him.

"I've got to cut these lemons!" She said, ignoring the way he was pressing his hips firmly against her. "We're at work."

"Not for another ten minutes." He pointed out, brushing the tips of his fingers teasingly across her stomach.

"I'm pretty sure we're at work. I don't have _this_ much booze in my house." Sarah said, slicing through the fruit and throwing it into a bowl. "Come on, you could at least help me out."

"But it's more fun to do this." He whispered in her ear as his hand dropped lower, past the waistband of her skirt. She caught his hand, but he kept it exactly where it was. She turned her head to look at him, and the wolfish look in his eyes almost finished her there and then.

They were interrupted by the bell on the door, and Sarah tried to move away from him, but he kept her in place. Mercifully, he moved his hand upwards, placing it firmly on her waist.

"Hey." Tina said, not looking up from the book she was reading.

"Teen! Wait!" Ella came in behind her, and froze when she saw Jerry and Sarah standing incredibly close together. She ran her eyes over them briefly, muttering a brief 'hello' before running after her friend.

"She didn't look happy." Sarah said uncomfortably, remembering that Ella had once hit on him. She wondered if she'd had any actual feelings for him.

"Who cares?" He said, kissing her neck.

"That's not very nice." Sarah protested, her breath hitching as his tongue ran up to her ear.

"I'm not very nice." He shrugged, stepping back and releasing her. He dragged his eyes over her one last time, and she felt herself blush under his scrutiny. "I suppose I really should start setting up, shouldn't I?"

"Yes." Sarah told him firmly, though really she wanted him to stay and keep kissing her.

"I'll see you later then, darling." He kissed her softly, just once, pulling back to look at her. "You are truly beautiful, you know."

"Um, thanks. You too?"

He laughed.

* * *

The night was busy, though thankfully this time nobody ended up with Jerry's fist in their face. Sarah had hardly caught a glimpse of him, and as the lights went up, she felt his hands grab her waist briefly before walking away. She smiled, watching as he walked away.

The bar emptied out quickly, and Sarah locked the door. She paused, taking a tube of lipstick from her pocket and using her reflection in the mirror to apply it. Ella and Tina were in their usual Saturday night state, both sitting down with a bottle of vodka. Ella watched Sarah with narrowed eyes, taking a slow drink from her glass. She got up, and Tina tried to yank her back down.

"It's not fair!" Ella said, as Tina hid her eyes behind her hand. Sarah turned around, not even realising that Ella had been talking to her at first.

"What isn't?" She asked in confusion. Ella was so drunk she was swaying side to side, and Sarah thought she looked like one of those Weeble toys she'd had when she was a kid. At least Sarah hoped Ella wouldn't fall down - she was surrounded by glass and a trip to the ER didn't sound appealing.

"You. You come in here with all your..hair." Ella was gesticulating wildly. "And your big boobs. And you take him away!"

"What are you even talking about?" Sarah frowned, feeling her defenses rise. This girl was drunk, she needed to remember that. Diffuse the situation, don't rise to her bait.

"Jerry! I've wanted him for months, there was constant flirting and tension but there was all that 'not in the workplace' bullshit. And you swan in here and snap him up." Ella said, a lit cigarette in her hand edging dangerously close to Tina's hair. Tina tried to calm her friend down, but it wasn't working.

"Look, I'm sorry if you're upset, but it really isn't my fault." Sarah said, looking around and hoping Jerry would come and rescue her. Confrontations weren't pleasant, and she had no interest in engaging in an argument with Ella. "Maybe you should have some water."

"Maybe you should shut up." Ella shouted, the glass in her hand trembling, threatening to fall.

"Ella, you're being an idiot. I don't want any trouble, I didn't do this to spite you. I hardly know you! Back off!" Sarah said, her voice steady but raised. She could defend herself if she had to, but she really, really didn't want to. Ella walked over to her and stood in front of her, squaring up to her. Sarah went to turn away, and Ella grabbed the bottom of Sarah's hair, yanking her back. "Let go, you crazy bitch!"

"Ella, let go of her!" Tina screamed, rushing over and pulling the other girl back. Sarah's hair was released, and she stumbled backwards. "What the fuck? You'll get fired! Or arrested!"

Just then, the door to the staff area opened and Jerry walked out, wearing his coat and holding Sarah's belongings in his hand. He gave them to her, and smiled politely at the two drunks. Sarah said nothing, only rubbed at her scalp. Tina was muttering something to Ella, pulling her back to their seats.

"Will you be alright getting home on your own tonight girls?" Jerry said smoothly, though he had no intention in helping if the answer was no.

They both mumbled something about getting a cab, and Jerry nodded.

"Excellent. Come Sarah, let's go." He took her hand and practically dragged her out of the door. When they got onto the street, he grabbed her and kissed her passionately, his hands knotted in her hair. They stayed like that for several minutes, until they broke apart breathlessly.

"What was that for?" Sarah asked, grinning as she saw Jerry had pink lipstick smeared all over his mouth. She reached out and wiped it off with her thumb.

"I heard what happened. Do you want Alice to get rid of her?" Jerry said, and Sarah noticed his hands were in tense fists by his side. His face was shadowed by the street lights, but she could see anger in his eyes. He pulled his cigarettes from his pocket, and lit one, taking a slightly edgy inhale.

"No. I don't want it to be my fault she doesn't have a job and no references."

"She tried to attack you. She had a glass in her hand, it could have been much worse. I didn't say anything in there because I knew it would piss her off more if we left together. And I wanted you to decide what happened, not me."

"Yeah, it could have been, but it wasn't. Just let it go." Sarah said, shrugging. They walked in the direction of her apartment. "She said you and her used to flirt."

"I flirt with everybody, I can't help it." He admitted. "I try not to but then I end up doing it more."

"Is that what you're doing with me?" Sarah asked, trying to sound nonchalant but accidentally sounding completely insecure. Damn.

"No, darling. Not with you. I flirt, but I don't put it about." He said, taking a drag on his cigarette then flicking it into the gutter.

"What?" Sarah asked with a frown. "Put it about?"

"Sleep around, sorry. Another English phrase, I suppose."

"I like it when you speak English. English English. I think it's sexy." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him fleetingly. He pulled her closer, until their noses touched.

"You do?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Apples and pears and all that then."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, precious." He laughed. "Can we get a taxi? Walking seems like a waste of time when there are so many more exciting activities waiting for us at home."

"Deal."

* * *

 **A/N: Massive thanks to a Huffington Post article called "25 Humaplicious Steps for Writing Your First Sex Scene" which a) is hilarious and you should all read it and b) actually very helpful.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this, I've never actually written a full on lemon before so I'd love your thoughts! Thanks so much for all the answers to the lemon question, it was a big response in the yes direction so I hope it was alright! There won't be lemons in every chapter and there will always be a warning at the top.  
**

 **Also, as a Brit trying to write an American character, I find myself googling increasingly ridiculous things. Today was "Do Americans have kettles?" Just trying to be authentic..**

 **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning for sexual content.**

* * *

Sarah _was searching for someone. There was someone she needed to see - but she wasn't sure who. This place was strange, full of women in big dresses wearing strange masks. Whenever she tried to move, they blocked her path - but she kept looking._

 _Then she found him. His face was hidden by a bony looking mask that scared her, and she wanted to rip it away. When she reached out to touch it, he gripped her wrist firmly._

 _"Now, now, Sarah. That's not very sporting of you." A familiar voice said, teasing and seductive.  
_

 _"Who are you?" She asked, her voice barely audible over din the music. Laughter echoed around her, but nobody noticed her and the masked man standing together. She felt as though everything was moving, and she blinked to try and make things clearer.  
_

 _"You know who I am, precious. I am the Goblin King." He raised a gloved hand to stroke from her cheek, right down to the swell of her cleavage. She recoiled from him, slapping his hand away.  
_

 _"Why can't I see your face?" She asked, her voice growing hysterical. "Show me your face!"  
_

 _"You wish to see my face? I'm beside you. You know me."_

 _"What's your name?" She asked, realizing that the book had only ever referred to him by his title, never his true name. "Tell me your name."_

 _"You know my name, dearest."_

 _"Say it."_

 _"Jareth."_

 _"No." She moved back, wrenching her wrist from his grasp. He lowered the mask, and she could see that it was Jerry, or Jareth, whoever he was - his hair long, his face shimmering as though dipped in moonlight. He looked entirely alien to her. She edged backwards, not wanting to be near him. Things began to grow hazy, as though they were melting away in front of her. A voice was calling her through the darkness. His voice.  
_

 _"Sarah..Sarah.."_

"Sarah?" Jerry shook her awake gently. "Sarah, are you alright?"

"Huh?" She mumbled, her eyes still closed. "Wha- where am I?"

"You're in bed. A nightmare?" He asked, stroking her face soothingly. "You looked uneasy."

"Um, yeah. I guess it was a nightmare." Sarah said, sitting up and trying to think what it had been about. She looked over at Jerry, squinting at him for a moment. He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you alright?"

"I feel like you were in my dream." She said carefully, frowning as she tried to remember the details. The dream was vanishing fast, like melting snow. "I was at a ball, I couldn't see anyone's faces, nobody would speak to me.."

"I would always speak to you, so it can't have been me precious." He said with a low chuckle, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "Did you sleep well?"

"What time is it?" Sarah asked; it was too dark to see the clock on the wall, and Jerry was blocking the view of the digital clock next to her bed.

"It's only seven, we haven't been asleep long." He said, his voice thick with sleep. He looked much younger when he was tired, his hair sticky from the gel he wore and still plastered down

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yes, but I'll allow it." He said smoothly, hooking his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. His eyes closed. "Come, more sleep."

She lay back down, turning on her side. Jerry pressed himself against her, burying his face in her hair and wrapping his arms around her. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his body against hers. They stayed like that for several minutes, until Sarah realized his skin was like ice against hers.

"You're still cold." She said as she drifted off to sleep. "You're always cold."

But he was already asleep.

* * *

Sarah was woken up by a hasty knock on the door.

"Sar? Can I come in?" Before Sarah could even answer, the door opened.

"Nikki! Get out!" Sarah hissed, waiting until the door had shut to jump out of bed. She was naked, as was the sleeping man beside her. She grabbed her robe, and tied it as tightly as she could. She looked in the mirror quickly to look at her hair - God, she was a mess.

"I'm waiting for the details!" Nikki called out, and Sarah muttered something under her breath about finding a one bedroom apartment. She shot a quick glance to the bed, and Jerry was still fast asleep. She opened the door, finding her roommate standing there chewing a piece of bread.

"I thought you were avoiding carbs?" Sarah asked, going to the sink and pouring a glass of water. "You are so nosy, I can't believe you. It's knock and wait, not open the door whilst knocking."

"The carbs found me." Nikki said, biting a huge chunk out of her bread. "I didn't know he was here!"

"You must have seen his jacket and shoes!" Sarah pointed out, and Nikki looked sheepish. "You perv."

"I'm sorry alright, I just got home. Look at you two love birds, asleep until two in the afternoon! Judging by your hair, you got laid big time." Sarah turned bright red, and Nikki grinned in triumph. "So, how was it?!"

"I'm not going to tell you when he's asleep in the next room!" Sarah hissed, looking at the door. She turned back to face Nikki, taking some bread from her and chewing. "Except it was literally the best sex of my life."

"You flatter me, Sarah." A voice echoed out of her room, and Sarah didn't bother to turn around, cringing so much she wanted to ground to swallow her up. Her face glowed, and Sarah wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment. "Good morning, Nikki. Nice to see you again."

His voice was cheery, and he offered Nikki a little wave. She couldn't quite look him in the eyes, waving back to him awkwardly. He joined Sarah and got a glass out of the cabinet, taking a long drink of water.

"Nice to see you, too. I, er, wasn't expecting you to be in there." Nikki said uncomfortably, looking him up and down. He had gotten dressed, thankfully, and was leaning easily against Sarah's door frame with a satisfied smile on his face.

"How was your evening?" He asked pleasantly. Nikki looked awkward; a rare sight. She was usually so confident and outgoing that it was highly unusual to see her so out of sorts.

"Good, thanks. I'm, um, going to my room." She said awkwardly, practically running to her bedroom.

"I think you scare her." Sarah said, as Jerry wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck.

"Nonsense." He said, still kissing her neck. He ran his tongue gently up to her ear, and she shivered. "Good morning, by the way."

"Afternoon." Sarah said, her eye drifting to the clock on the wall. She looked down at her watch, which she had slipped on her wrist when she'd gotten dressed. "My watch is running slow."

"You have an awful lot of clocks." Jerry said with a raised eyebrow. "A watch, three clocks in your bedroom, two out here. You even have a clock in your bathroom, I noticed."

"I like knowing the time." She shrugged. She drained the rest of her water and placed the glass in the sink. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's just rather amusing." He said, placing his glass besides her. He looked at her with a smile. "Do you want to do something today, or shall I get out of your hair?"

"I guess I should probably study." She said apologetically. He nodded, and kissed her gently. As always, the touch of his mouth against hers made her feel like she was made of marshmallows. Although the kiss had begun perfectly innocently, as soon as he caught her lip between his teeth, it turned into something altogether more desperate.

Even though they had slept together a total of three times in the past twenty four hours, the passion she felt for him was like it was the first. She could hardly keep her hands off him, every touch sending sparks through her body.

She tugged him back into her bedroom, not bothering to make up some excuse, merely wanting to get him in private before Nikki caught them having sex on the kitchen table. His hands were already unbuttoning her jeans, his fingers quick and determined. She pulled his shirt off, and he yanked her shirt open, buttons popping. She'd worry about that later.

They barely made it to the bed before his hands were on her, stroking her gently while his tongue met hers with furious speed. The contrasting sensations made her head spin, and it was all she could do to focus on kissing him back. His fingers were inside her, moving increasingly faster until all she could do was gasp his name against his mouth.

"Come for me, Sarah." He commanded in her ear, felling her tighten around his fingers. "Come for me."

His words finished her, and she bit her lip to stop herself from screaming. He removed his fingers, and lowered himself onto her. She kissed him fiercely, moaning as he entered her. He closed his eyes in pleasure, his lips moving as if saying a silent prayer.

"You are so beautiful." He groaned into her ear, his hips moving slowly. "You are divine."

Sarah didn't know what to say in return, so she settled for kissing him firmly, moving her hips up to meet his. It felt so natural to be like this with him, as though she had been waiting for him forever. There was no awkwardness, no hesitant fumbling. Every move was purposeful, every touch meant to bring them both pleasure.

He placed his hands under her back, and rolled them so she was lying on top of him. For a moment, she looked at him hesitantly.

"Let go, darling. Just relax."

She moved hesitantly, and after a moment Jerry wrapped his legs around her and raised her to a sitting position, burying his face in her neck as she straddled him. She moved her hips, trying to stop thinking so much. Her head fell back, her mouth open. There wasn't an inch between them, their chests pressed together as their breathing grew increasingly ragged.

"Sarah." He groaned, her name on his lips the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. He pushed her back, driving into her with a force that left her breathless. She could feel that now familiar rush of pleasure, and she dug her fingers into his back hard. She came silently, shuddering against him. He followed her over, biting down on her shoulder to stop himself crying out.

He stayed there for a moment, before rolling off of her and taking her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, that was a rather protracted goodbye." He said wryly, and Sarah laughed.

* * *

When he eventually left Sarah's house, Jareth felt like he was flying. Everything he had been dreaming of for the past seven years had come true - she was his, and he was hers. Not officially, not yet, but there was something between them that he couldn't even imagine. In his fantasies, she was silent, willing. He didn't want that anymore. He wanted her to find her own pleasure, explore her own sexuality. She seemed a little closed off, and he wanted to help her love herself just as much as he did.

Unlocking his apartment, he almost walked straight back out again when he saw Hoggle standing there.

"If you're here with bad news Loggle, you can just go straight back through the mirror." He sighed, throwing his keys onto the table. Hoggle wasted no time with pleasantries - not that Jareth was one for pleasantries in the first place.

"There's war in the Labyrinth."

"Talk to your King." He said, waving a hand dismissively. "I am banned from the Underground, you know that. Are you safe?"

"It's not in my part. It's spreadin', Renat can't do nothin' to stop it. If it gets worse, I'll goes back to the Dwarf Kingdom. Thought you might wants ta know." Hoggle shrugged.

"Well, thank you for the update. Who's doing the warring?" Jareth asked, unable to imagine any of the creatures within the Labyrinth having the gumption to go to war with each other.

"Nobody knows. But there's stuff goin' on, the Labyrinth is goin' mad. I've heard half of it's dead now."

"That's not much of a war." Jareth said, rolling his eyes. "It's not a war, it's the Labyrinth itself. Renat's saying that there's a war to try and make you all feel like someone other than him is responsible."

"It's been goin' on two days now." Hoggle said uneasily. "There's thunder and explosions. Hedges fallin', I've heard all about it. Creatures are fleein' to where it's safe. I don't knows if anywhere's gonna be safe after long."

"Get out, Hoggle." Jareth said, turning serious. "Gather everyone important to you and leave. Before it's too late."

"What's gonna happen?"

"I don't know. I just know I wouldn't like to be around when the Labyrinth dies." Jareth said, sitting down on the sofa and rubbing his head tensely. "Just keep yourself safe."

"I didn't know ya cared." Hoggle said, sounding as though he was touched.

"Don't tell anyone." Jareth retorted sullenly, crossing his legs. "I like to maintain the appearance of being dead on the inside."

"You don't looks too well, if ya don't mind me sayin'." Hoggle said, looking at Jareth's gaunt face.

"I do mind, thank you Hoggle. I'm just tired." He said, rubbing his forehead to try and soothe his headache. "You're not my physician, so kindly keep your medical advice to yourself."

Hoggle shifted uneasily.

"How is Sarah?"

"Quite well, thank you."

"We misses her, ya know."

"You can't see her." He said firmly. "If you were to see her, it would ruin everything. She can't know about the Labyrinth for her own safety."

"You don't wants her to remember you, yer mean."

"Look, I'm not talking about this again. I'm not the King now, I'm just a normal person."

"Yer a Fae. Yer never gonna be a normal person."

"I can make her happy. That's all that matters." Jareth said determinedly, tiring of the same conversation over and over again.

"Yer lyin' to 'er." Hoggle said, and Jareth could see he was growing angry. "Yer gonna hurt her!"

"I will not!" Jareth said, struggling to keep his voice even. "If you think this is all some game to me, then you're wrong! I tire of your advice, Hoggle, I have no need of it. If all you can think to do is criticise me and accuse me of things that aren't true, then perhaps you should just go back to the Dwarf Kingdom and forget all about your friend the Exiled King."

"I'm goin'. I mean it, Jareth. Don't hurt her."

Then, Hoggle was gone.

* * *

A few days later, Jareth knocked on Sarah's door. Somebody had left the front door open, and he didn't think to buzz. She was expecting him anyway.

She answered, a happy smile on her face.

"The audition went well then, darling?" He asked, handing her a small bunch of slightly wilted looking yellow flowers that were being sold by a vendor on his way over. She smiled, smelling them gratefully. Who thought it was a good idea to sell flowers in the freezing cold, God only knew, but Jareth had bought them anyway.

"I got it!" She said, practically bouncing on the spot. "I've always wanted to be Titania."

"You have the look for it." He said simply, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Is it cold outside?" She asked, frowning. "You're absolutely frozen."

"A little, yes. There's talk of snow on the way."

"New York winters are miserable." Sarah said, moving out the way so Jerry could come in. "But pretty, sometimes."

"Not as pretty as you."

"Thanks, charmer. Are you not working tonight? I forgot to ask on the phone."

"Alice has given me the night off, for once."

They had gotten into the habit of meeting up before he had to go to work at the bar, and then he would come to hers very late at night. She gave him a key, and those moments in the middle of the night where he slipped into bed beside her and held her until he fell asleep made her heart burst with happiness. There was so much more to him than just sex; he was truly tender, truly caring.

"Come into my room." She said, not bothering with any pretences. "I'm just learning lines."

He sat on her bed cross legged and watched her reading the text, her mouth moving silently.

"Shouldn't you read it out loud? I could help you. I think I'd make a rather good King."

"Maybe another time." Sarah said, not looking up. "I like to read the lines first."

"When's the play?"

"Not for a few months yet." Sarah said. "Christmas first, then the play. Thanksgiving's next week, you know."

"I've never celebrated it." Jerry shrugged. "We don't have it in England, and I tend to just do nothing when I'm over here."

"I'm going home. Um, do you want to come?" She asked, not meeting his eyes. "I mean, I get if you don't want to, I know it's kinda soon, but if you're not doing anything else.."

"I'd love to, if I'm welcome." He said. He leaned forward, taking the book from her hands. "Sarah, remember what I said about not feeling embarassed to ask me things?"

"I know, I just wasn't sure if it was a big step."

"Stop measuring us by other people's standards, sweet thing. Let's just do what feels right, shall we? Speaking of that, I had a question to ask you."

"You did?"

"I was wondering if it would be alright if we didn't see other people."

"I'm not." She frowned. She looked at him suspiciously. "Are you?"

"No, dearest. When would I have time for that? I suppose that was just a clumsy way of asking you to be my girlfriend." He shrugged, reaching out to brush a piece of hair from her eyes.

A grin broke across her face, and she jumped on him, pinning him down and kissing him fiercely.

"Shall I give you more time to think about it?" He joked as she broke away from him.

"Not needed. Yes."

* * *

 **A/N: I struggled a bit with this chapter, but I've been writing future chapters (which I never do) that needed a bridge between them. They should be up in about 2 chapters time, I'm aiming to get this story finished in around 10-15 chapters to try and keep it tight. Are there any little moments you'd like to see between Jareth and Sarah?**

 **That will probably be the last lemon for a while, I don't want to make them too gratuitous. Also thanks to everyone for answering my kettle questions! Who needs google when I have you lovely lot?!**

 **Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

"So, we'll be there about twelve I guess." Sarah told her dad, twirling the phone chord around her finger. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and she had finally plucked up the courage to ask if Jerry could come with her. It was short notice, but Irene always cooked enough to feed an army anyway.

"Wonderful pumpkin, I can't wait to see you." He said fondly. "We've missed you, kiddo."

"I've missed you too. I promise I'll try and visit more next semester." She told him; her home town was only a two hour train ride away, but it was finding the time (and the money) to get there that was the problem.

"Well, I'll let you go. I look forward to meeting this boy tomorrow." He said, his voice teasing her. She rarely dated, and she had never introduced a boyfriend to her family before.

Sarah cringed at the word "boy" - she really should tell her dad, just to save him from a heart attack tomorrow.

"Dad, I need to tell you about Jerry." She took a deep breath, bracing herself for her father's reaction. "He's, um, a little bit older than me. I want you to be nice."

"How much older?" Robert asked down the phone, sounding suspicious.

"Um, like five years younger than you are." Sarah admitted sheepishly, and she heard Robert take a sharp breath.

"Sarah!" He sighed, sounding defeated. "He's thirty seven years old? You're just twenty one!"

"Dad! It's fine. He's nice, I promise. He's English." Sarah said, as if that somehow made it more understandable.

"He's not with you just for a green card is he?" Her father asked cyinically, and Sarah could hear Irene in the background fussing. "That's an awfully big age gap."

"No! He has a green card already. Any other questions to get out the way before tomorrow?" Sarah asked her dad irritably, not wanting him to embarrass her.

"Is he married?" Robert asked sternly.

"No." Sarah sighed, wondering if her dad honestly thought that a- she'd have an affair with a married man and b- that she'd bring him to Thanksgiving dinner.

"Children?"

"None."

"Criminal record?"

"Believe it or not, I haven't run a full background check. Shall I just not bring him? Is it going to be too awkward?"

There was a brief pause, and Irene came on the line.

"Hello Sarah! Ignore your father. Bring your new boyfriend, we'd love to meet him. Toby's so excited to see you I think he might explode."

"Aw, tell him I'm excited too." Sarah smiled; things might have been rocky with Irene when she was a kid, but now Sarah was closer to her than she was to her own mother. "I'm sorry I haven't been to visit this semester, I've just been a little busy. I got into the play, by the way, so I'd love if you could come watch."

"We'd love to dear!" Irene said brightly, but Sarah could still hear her father muttering in the background. "I, um, better go sweetheart. Calm your father down. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Sarah said, hanging up the phone and leaning her head against the wall.

"That went well then." Nikki said, chewing some licorice. "Did he say the words cradle robber?"

"No, he didn't!" Sarah said indignantly. "It will be fine. My dad will be calm by tomorrow, and I'm sure they'll like him. I hope they'll like him. Oh god, I'm so nervous I think I'm gonna barf."

"Is he coming over tonight?" Nikki asked, still chewing. Sarah wondered how she could be so thin and constantly eat candy and junk.

"After work, so late. Then we're catching the train up in the morning." Sarah said, chewing on her thumb nail.

"You're super nervous, aren't you?" Nikki asked, watching her carefully. Sarah rarely bit her fingernails, and here she was gnawing at her thumb like a starving man.

"I might actually die." Sarah admitted. "What if Toby doesn't like him? What if my dad hates him? What if Irene flirts with him?"

"Just chill. Toby's a kid, he likes anyone who spins him round or gives him attention for a bit. He'll be fine. Your dad might be a bit trickier, nobody likes to think that their daughter's being boned by a guy who's basically old enough to be her dad."

"Can you shut up?" Sarah said, cringing. "That's so disgusting. He's older than me, yeah but he's not old enough to be my dad. My dad wasn't sixteen when I was born."

"I'm just saying, he'll probably be a little uncomfortable."

"You're making me uncomfortable." Sarah retorted. "Can you try and sugar coat your words a little, Nik?"

"Sorry." She grinned. "This is the first time I've been able to talk to you in like two weeks, you and Jerry are attached at the hip. The only time I see you is when he's out at work, and I'm usually heading out the door."

"I know, it's bad. New sex is like crack, isn't it?" Sarah said, grinning. "I can hardly think about anything else."

"As sickening as it is, it's nice to see you happy. Even if it is at the expense of our friendship." Nikki pouted, and Sarah threw a couch pillow at her.

"Stop being so dramatic!" Sarah said. "It's not my fault you go out every single night. I'm right here watching TV alone most evenings, if you weren't so darn popular you could join me."

"Forgive me if a night of Seinfeld reruns and talking about your boyfriend doesn't appeal." Nikki replied, rolling her eyes.

"Don't forget Chinese food." Sarah shrugged, flopping down on the sofa and closing her eyes. "Man, I'm so tired."

"Probably all the sex." Nikki laughed. "Oh, it's so tiring being in love."

"Shh!" Sarah said. "It's way too soon for the 'L' word."

"It's totally true though, isn't it? You're smitten."

"Any idiot could see that. Smitten and love aren't the same thing." Sarah said firmly, turning on the TV and flicking through the channels in an attempt to avoid talking about her feelings.

"It's alright to have feelings, Sarah." Nikki probed her gently, and Sarah looked at her scathingly.

"It's been two weeks, it could all go wrong you know?" She said quietly, not wanting to acknowledge her own fears. Guys made fancy promises and pretty words all the time, and they had always let her down. She was keeping her guard up, not wanting to be too happy in case it all fell to pieces around her.

"That's it, keep up the positivie attitude. Anyway, Little Miss Sunshine, I best be going. I've got a date."

"Who with?" Sarah asked with interest; Nikki dated a different guy every night of the week, and Sarah loved to live vicariously through her. Not so much now, she thought wryly. Her life had quite enough romance in.

"Mark."

"Which one's Mark again?" Sarah asked, frowning as she tried to make sense of Nikki's filo-fax of dates.

"You know, he's the one I told you about. Tall, on the basketball team, has an enormous-"

Just then, a key turned in the lock.

"Don't let me stop you girls." Jerry opened the door and came in. "You know that door is as thin as paper, yes?"

Nikki turned red. Jerry made her nervous, Sarah noticed; she wasn't her usual confident self around him, as though she could hardly stand to be in the same room as him. She mumbled something about having to leave, and grabbed her coat. Jerry stood aside to let her out of the door, then closed it behind her.

"Hey." Sarah said softly, standing up to go and hug him. "You're back super early."

"Alice let me leave. She's hired a new lackey and deigned to give me a night off for once." He said, kissing her hello.

"You're so cold!" Sarah shivered, his face like ice once again. He was wearing a thick winter coat, leather gloves and a scarf, and he still felt as though he'd been rolling around in snow. "It can't be that cold out there, can it?"

"Believe me, it can. I'm freezing."

"Come and sit with me." Sarah said, sitting back down on the couch and patting the spot next to her. "I'll hug you until you're warm."

"That sounds nice." He said wearily, taking off his outside clothes and sitting next to her. She wrapped herself around him, resting her head against his chest. She could hear the gentle drumming of his heart, and even through his clothes she could feel just how cold his skin was.

"Have you ever seen a doctor about how cold you are?" She asked, frowning. "I mean, I know it's nearly December and all, but I've never known you to be warm."

"Two weeks isn't that long to have a complete picture of my body temperature, love. I'm fine, I just have terrible circulation. No need to worry."

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, looking up at him. "You look kind of tired tonight."

"I am." He said, closing his eyes. "Nothing sleep and being with you can't cure, precious."

"Do you want some drugs or something?" Sarah asked, trying to think what she had in her bathroom cabinet. "I mean, I'm pretty sure we only have some old Tylenol but it's better than nothing right?"

"No, thanks love. I don't take painkillers."

"Why?"

"They don't work on me." He shrugged. "I just need a good night's sleep."

"Are you still coming to Thanksgiving tomorrow?"

"I'll wake up early and go home and change." He said, his eyes shut tightly. "Set one of your eight hundred alarm clocks, will you?"

* * *

The next morning, as Sarah and Jerry sat on a crowded train heading Upstate, she rested her head on his shoulder. Her hands were restless, picking at her cuticles until they bled. Jerry was asleep, the night's rest seemingly doing nothing for him. Sarah looked at him carefully; he was frowning, even in his sleep, and his lips were moving ever so slightly. He looked exahusted. She reached out a hand to touch his face, and he jumped.

"Sorry." She whispered, as he opened his eyes cautiously. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine." He mumbled, pulling her into him. "Are we almost there?"

"Almost." Sarah whispered into his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Dandy." He murmured, his voice tight and throaty sounding. His skin shone as though covered in glitter, a sheen of sweat coating him.

"I feel bad, I should have just left you to sleep. You're sick, aren't you?" She asked him, looking at his almost bruised looking under eyes.

"Nonsense." He said brusquely. "I don't get sick."

"Okay then. Well, it'll be another hour I guess." She said, knowing that wasn't 'almost' there at all. "Just go back to sleep."

She reached down and pulled a book out from by her feet, something she was using to prepare for Midsummer Night's Dream. Jerry looked at the book in her hands, raising an eyebrow.

"What's that?" He asked, reaching out to touch the enormous leather bound book.

"It's a book I got from the library. It's all about fairies and stuff, I thought it would be good research." Sarah showed him the cover. It was a green hardback book, with the lettering embossed in gold. It looked old, older than a book from a college library should.

 _A Study of the Fae and Their World, Laws and Legends  
_

"How interesting." He said lightly, taking it from her and flipping it open to read a few pages. He handed it back to her. "Happy reading."

He closed his eyes again, and she began to read.

* * *

Jareth felt awful. He avoided using public transport; being trapped in this metal box made him feel physically ill, the iron surrounding him making his skin prickle and sweat drip from his brow. He could hardly tell Sarah that, and pretending that he had some kind of human ailment seemed like the simplest solution.

He tried to sleep, but the book that Sarah was reading made him feel uneasy. He couldn't exactly stop her from reading it without arousing suspicion, but there was something strange about the tome. It had been touched by magic, he could feel it, and he needed to get it off her at the earliest opportunity.

It wasn't that he enjoyed keeping secrets from her, but if she found out the truth it would put her in danger - the Fae were highly secretive,and as Jareth wasn't even truly one of them anymore, he was in no position to protect her should things go wrong. Meddling in magic was a dangerous past time, and the last thing he wanted was for Sarah to say or do something that she'd seen in the book.

He'd get rid of it when they were back in the city. He wasn't sure how, without accidentally incurring her big library fines or actually returning it back to the library itself. Such a book had the potential to cause a lot of damage, not just in Sarah's hands, but any mortal's. It was better off being destroyed.

After what felt like forever being imprisoned in the train carriage, they finally arrived in Sarah's hometown.

Jareth actually felt nervous as they walked to Sarah's childhood home. He knew the way, of course, and it took all his self control not cross the street before she told him to. Meeting her parents was such a _human_ thing - if this were a Fae courtship, the entire thing would have been orchestrated by her parents. But this was a mortal relationship, and it was one based on love rather than politics. It was an alien concept to him, to have to try to impress these people. Normally, his title would do that for him.

Sarah held his hand tightly as she knocked on the door, and Jareth tried to get his head together. The door opened, and a man he recognized as Sarah's father stood there. He hadn't changed much in seven years, but the little boy peeking out from behind him certainly had.

"Hello Sarah." Her father said, his voice rather tight. He stuck his hand out, and Jareth shook it, making sure his handshake didn't gave away the fact that he felt so weak he might pass out any moment. "You must be Jerry."

"Hello, Mr Williams." He said formally, giving him a little nod. He felt like a teenager, something he hadn't been for literally thousands of years.

"Robert." Robert looked him up and down. "You're not what I expected."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He asked smoothly, a smile playing on his lips.

"I'm not sure yet." Her father answered stiffly. "Come in."

* * *

Sarah led Jerry in by his hand, letting go of him and kneeling on the floor.

"Hey buddy!" She said to the small boy hiding behind his father's legs. "I've missed you!"

"I missed you too! Look! Look! I lost a tooth!" He said, opening his mouth wide and showing a gap to his sister.

"You're getting so big! It feels like just yesterday you didn't have any teeth at all. Oh, Jerry, Toby was such a cute baby, you can't even imagine."

"Oh, I think I can." He said evenly, offering his hand to the child. "Hello young Toby, I'm Jerry."

Toby shook it hesitantly, eyeing him up and down.

"Your eyes are funny." Toby said after a moment. "And you're dressed weird."

"Toby!" Sarah hissed, flushing red. "That's not very nice! Jerry's just wearing normal clothes, and his eyes are like that because of an accident. Don't be mean. Say sorry."

"Sorry." Toby said reluctantly. He had a mop of blonde hair, with a heavy fringe that almost blocked his eyes entirely. "You like Ninja Turtles?"

"I'm not familiar." Jerry said with a smile. "But I'm willing to learn."

"Toby loves his Ninja Turtles." Sarah said with a laugh. Toby ran off into his playroom, and Sarah grabbed Jerry's hand. "Come meet Irene. Then you can go play."

Jerry followed her into the kitchen, where a blonde woman wearing a rather natty floral apron was stirring frantically at something in an enormous pot.

"Irene, d'you want some help?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"No, nearly done!" She said, not looking up. "I'll be with you in one moment."

After a second, she put the spoon down with a satisfied smile, and turned around.

"Oh, isn't he handsome!" Irene said straight away, and Sarah felt herself turn red yet again. "I'm Irene, Sarah's stepmom. I'd love to say I've heard so much about you but I didn't know you existed until yesterday."

"I've heard a great deal about you all." He replied, giving her a small, almost teasing smile. Sarah looked at him; he really could turn on the charm when he wanted to. She felt a little jealous; he really did flirt.

"All good I hope!" Irene trilled, and they all laughed.

"Jerry, why don't you go see Toby?" Sarah suggested, and he gave her a jaunty little salute and left the room. Sarah turned to Irene. "Well, thoughts?"

"He seems very nice, dear." She said, a funny little smile on her lips. She was like a giddy school girl. "So handsome. Those eyes!"

"Should I leave you alone with him?" Sarah asked sarcastically. Irene laughed, waving a hand.

"Oh Sarah. Still as snippy as ever. Can you go and help your father set the table?"

* * *

After a dinner that consisted of so much food Sarah was pretty sure the Williams family would be eating leftovers until Christmas, Sarah noticed that Jerry really didn't look well. He'd hardly eaten anything, and was now sitting on the floor playing with Toby's toys. Toby had taken quite a shine to him, and even though he clearly was sick, Jerry seemed to be fond of him too. That was one worry off her mind - Toby's judgement was the one that truly mattered to her.

Her father had made stiff conversation all afternoon, and Sarah discovered that he and Jerry really didn't have anything in common. In a way, that made her happy - what was it people said about dating your father? They really were as different as two people could be.

"Are you alright?" She asked Jerry under her breath, and he shrugged.

"I'm fine." He protested, though Sarah noticed he was trembling.

"You look awful. We can go, we'll be back in the city by six."

"This is your day with family, Sarah. I don't want to deprive you of that."

"It's alright. I don't want you to get worse. I'll just go and tell Irene and Dad we're going to have to leave."

She pressed a kiss to his damp, icy forehead. Then, she ruffled Toby's blonde locks fondly, leaving to go and say goodbye.

"I know who you are." Toby said easily, driving a truck over Jerry's leg.

"I know who you are too. I believe we were introduced earlier, young Toby." He said with a chuckle. Toby looked up at him, his face deathly serious. He still had those sweet little chubby cheeks, Jareth thought.

"No, I mean I know who you really are. You're the Goblin King, aren't you?" He asked quietly, eyes darting to the door to see if his sister had returned.

"Excuse me?" He asked, trying to act as though the words sounded entirely unfamiliar to him.

"It's okay, I won't tell Sarah." Toby shrugged. "She wouldn't believe me anyways."

"No." Jareth said with a small smile. "I don't suppose she would."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter, please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

On the train, Jerry slept against her shoulder as Sarah read her book. She didn't know much about faeries, or Fae as they were called in this book at all. It was fascinating really; this book was written as though they were real, no suggestion of folk lore or anything like that.

The Fae were alluring, irresistible to anyone in their path, and impossibly beautiful. That reminded her of someone, she thought with a smile as she looked down at the sleeping man next to her.

 _The Fae are devious creatures, and they use their powers to gain what they want. They are driven by lust, and have often enchanted humans using only their faces to do whatever they please. It is for this reason that the Fae are not to be trusted; once enchanted, the victim will do anything at all - giving no thought to consequence or moral implication._

Sarah thought that sounded a lot like mortal love, really. Love made fools of everyone, and she knew plenty of people who'd suffered just for a pretty face. Her mother, for example, who was constantly being dangled on a string by her husband Jeremy. It was a mess, really. Sarah just hoped that her own happiness wouldn't be so painful.

When the train pulled into the station, Sarah shook Jerry awake. He was slow to wake up, his eyes watery and unfocused. He mumbled something about being fine, though as they walked to get a cab he fell over, his legs giving out underneath him. She looked at him with worry, but he dismissed her with a half heated wave of his hand.

A painfully long and slow taxi ride later, Sarah helped Jerry up the stairs to her apartment. He was so sick he could hardly speak, his eyes glazed over. He had gotten worse in the cab, slurring his words and lolling his head uncontrollably. He was surprisingly heavy to support despite his slight frame, and when they got into her apartment, Nikki helped her, taking his other shoulder. Sarah was thankful she hadn't gone home for the holidays; it was good to have an extra pair of hands.

"Jeez, what happened?" She asked, as Jerry moaned something completely incoherent. "Too much holiday spirit?"

"No, he's sick." Sarah replied, lying him flat on the bed. "Could you get some water?"

"Sure." Nikki dashed out to get him some, and Sarah sat down on the bed besides him. She placed her hand against his forehead, expecting to find him burning up. His skin was colder than ever, and she frowned down at him in confusion.

"Nikki, come feel his head." She called out, as Nikki walked back in holding a glass. "It's weird, he's so cold. It's like he has a fever, but there's no heat at all."

Nikki placed a hand tentatively on his forehead, and immediately snatched it back.

"Sar, that's not normal." Nikki was a biology major, and her studies of the human body had taught her that being that freezing was never a good sign. "Grab some blankets, I'm going to make him a hot water bottle."

Sarah pulled down the blankets she kept in her closet, wrapping them around his body. He was trembling violently, his lips moving frantically. Sarah stroked his forehead and spoke to him in hushed, soothing tones.

"Shh, it's alright. We're going to get you well again, I promise." Sarah said, wondering how he had gone downhill so quickly. He had been fine before they'd gotten on the train, a little sick maybe, but he'd deteriorated rapidly after that.

"Where am I?" He whispered hoarsely.

"You're at my apartment." She told him softly. "Just rest now."

"Who are you?" He asked, trembling fingers reaching up to touch her face.

"I'm Sarah." She said, frowning. "Don't you recognize me?"

"You're too old to be Sarah." He groaned, his eyes flickering shut. "Sarah's only fifteen."

"You must be thinking of a different Sarah, baby. I'm right here. Nikki!" She called out. "I think we need to get him to the hospital."

"I think he has hypothermia." Nikki said, wrapping the bottle in a cloth and placing it under the blankets. She had a thermometer in her other hand, and she waited until Jerry started babbling again and shoved it underneath his tongue, holding her hand against his chin to keep it his mouth shut.

"Is that a vodka bottle?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"Yes. It's all we have." Nikki removed the thermometer and looked at it, blinking to make sure she was reading it right. "This is insane. I'm calling 911 right now. How long's he been like this?"

"Hours." Sarah said, feeling herself panic. She took a deep breath; she need to be calm, she needed to be together. "He's been feeling sick for a couple days I think, I thought it was just exhaustion."

"I'm going to call an ambulance, you stay with him. Keep him talking, okay?"

"Jerry? Can you hear me?"

"Sarah, I'm going to die." He murmured, tossing from side to side. She pressed down on his shoulders, trying to keep him still. "I can't die, I need to tell you-"

"What? What do you need to tell me?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't- I shouldn't.."

"Shh sweetheart, you're wasting energy. We're going to get you a doctor, they'll make you better. You're not dying, you're staying right here with me." Sarah said, a tear rolling down her face and landing on his cheek. She wiped it off hastily, not wanting him to know she was upset.

"No doctors!" He said, bolting up right with alarming strength. His eyes weren't looking at anything, his lips looked almost blue. He really did look incredibly sick, and Sarah was overcome by pure fear.

"Nikki, get them to hurry up!" She yelled over her shoulder, trying to make Jerry lie back down. He struggled against her.

"My father." Jerry mumbled. "My father, he- he needs to know."

"I'll call your father tomorrow." Sarah said softly, running a hand down the side of his face. "Just relax. Calm down."

"Hoggle. Get Hoggle." His voice was strained, and Sarah frowned in confusion. He wasn't making any sense at all.

"Hoggle? What do you mean, Hoggle?" Sarah said, wondering why he was bringing up The Labyrinth book now. "Hoggle's not real."

"Stupid dwarf." He said breathlessly, his body shaking violently. She tried to pin him down as he convulsed, not sure if that was the right thing to do or not.

Sarah could hear the sound of sirens getting closer, and she shut her eyes in relief. She stayed with Jerry until the paramedics came in, then she stepped back and watched them check him over, chewing her thumb nail anxiously. She watched as one of the paramedics listened to his chest.

"We need to get him to the ER right now." The paramedic told his colleague, and Sarah stared down at Jerry in panic.

"What's wrong with him?" Sarah asked, watching as they unwrapped him from his makeshift blanket cocoon. They frowned a little at the hot water bottle.

"I suspect it's Hypothermia." The paramedic told her brusquely. Nikki was right, Sarah thought.

A few minutes later as Sarah sat in the ambulance, clutching at Jerry's ice cold hand, she wondered what was going to happen next.

* * *

It was too bright. Jareth tried to lift his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light, but there was something in his hand, pulling it back.

"Careful." A voice said, and he could feel a hand on his hair. "Don't move your hand. You've got a drip in."

"What - what - where.." His throat was tight, the words getting stuck. The blur beside him handed him a glass of water, and he drank it greedily. His throat felt better after that, his vision coming back into focus. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from him.

"You're in the hospital baby. The doctors said you have iron poisoning, they're flushing it out of your body." She said quietly, kissing his forehead. "I'm so glad you're awake, you've been unconscious for hours."

"Iron poisoning?" Jareth asked, frowning. He touched his hair, checking his glamour was still in place. The fact that he'd apparently been so unwell and managed to maintain his illusion was astounding to him, but he was glad the jig wasn't up quite yet. "I'm fine."

"You are not fine! You almost died!" Sarah said sternly. "You may as well have just been dragged out of the Hudson, you were so cold. The doctors said it's a miracle you even made it here."

"I don't have insurance." He groaned. "I can't afford this. Why aren't your hospitals free, like in England?"

"I don't think now's the time to get into a healthcare debate, sweetie. How are you feeling? Better?" She asked gently, and Jareth thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah." He tried to sit up, and Sarah helped him. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."

"Neither do the doctors. They're completely confused. Do you take iron tablets?"

"Yes." Jareth said, figuring it was easier to lie than explain that iron could penetrate his skin as easily as a needle through cloth. "I must have taken too many."

"That's it then. You've got to stop taking them, they made you really sick." Sarah said. "I was scared."

"I'm sorry I worried you. I'll stop taking them. Can we get out of here now?" He asked, sitting up and trying to get out of bed.

"Nuh uh." Sarah shook her head and pushed him back down on the bed. "You need to wait until they send you home. You were so sick, you can't just waltz out of here like nothing happened."

"I feel fine." He shrugged - and he did. Whatever the mortal medics had done had flushed out the excess iron from his body, and he felt revived. There was still some discomfort, but that had been there for seven years and wasn't going away any time soon. "I'll stay for a couple more hours, then I'm going."

"I'm going to get a doctor." Sarah said, standing up. "You stay there, alright?"

Jareth stared at the ceiling, wondering what was going on. This was all getting too much; he'd lived up here for seven years, and iron had never affected him so severely before. He'd even been in a plane before, and that surely had more metal in than a train? He really wasn't sure of the intricacies of human engineering.

Sarah came back with the doctor, a tall looking man. Jareth tensed, looking at him with pure loathing.

"Would you mind just stepping outside?" The doctor asked Sarah, who immediately left. The man looked Jareth up and down. Jareth was fully aware he looked ridiculous, wearing a blue hospital gown and strapped up to a load of bleeping machines doing God knows what. "My, my, my. The mighty Goblin King has truly fallen."

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, his eyes darting towards the door to make sure Sarah couldn't hear. "My throne boring you? I never had you down as one to take up medicine, I thought you needed empathy for such a role."

"You haven't been at home, and your pathetic spells you cast to try and block me are getting in the way." Rinat said, his glamour fading. He was a tall man, with pointed features and sparkling grey and blue markings above his eyes. He was a terrible dresser, Jareth thought, wearing a strange kind of boxy armour. He clearly hadn't raided Jareth's wardrobe. His long dark hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, making his face appear even more pinched.

"They can't be that pathetic if they've been keeping you away. Alas, you have found me here. What do you want, Rinat? Tips on how to get the goblins to stop letting chickens into the throne room? If you can't tell, I'm a little preoccupied currently."

"Don't talk to me about those imbeciles." He growled. "I know you met with your father. You know you're not alloyed Underground, you would breach the terms of our treaty?"

"Our treaty?" Jareth laughed. "It's not a treaty, it's a banishment order. My father is the High King, if he allows me Underground then I will not argue with him. I didn't stay for long. Why are you really here? It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain hedge maze would it?"

"What do you know of the Labyrinth? Who is talking to you?" Rinat asked furiously, and Jareth laughed again. Really, talking to this fool was more entertaining than any human television show.

"Nobody needs to talk to me. Are you simple? The Labyrinth is part of me, part you can never destroy. And before you ask, I'm not doing this. It is not in anyone's interest for the Labyrinth to die, I'm sure you've worked that out by now."

"Stop with the dramatics, Jareth. I know that it has nothing to do with you, the connection between you and the Labyrinth is nothing anymore. If there was any strength to it, I doubt you'd be in here. I've spoken with the Oracles, the seers. They believe they can fix it."

"Of course they do. How much are you paying them?"

"Speaking of paying, who's that beautiful thing out there? Quite the specimen."

Jareth screwed his hands into fists, ignoring the stinging pain of the needle in his hand. That was metal, too. He realized. He needed to get out of here as soon as he could before they accidentally killed him.

"She's none of your concern. I'm living like a mortal, am I not allowed mortal companions?" Jareth said, wondering why Rinat didn't recognize Sarah. He was part of the council that had ordered her memory wiped, but he had no idea if he had seen her before; he hadn't been privy to the council's actions until they had already happened.

"Oh, you are. I just didn't know humans could be so divine. The things I would do to her, those breasts-"

"Shut your mouth." Jareth interrupted angrily. "Do not look at her."

"Come now, I'm sure you could share her." Rinat said thoughtfully, and Jareth wanted to kill him right there.

"I'm sure I could snap your neck with just my little finger if I so desired, but let's not try. Is there anything else, or are you just here to gloat?" Jareth spat, the very presence of this idiot making him furious. Sarah was _his._

"You will stop interfering with our world." Jareth's replacement growled, and Jareth wondered what he was talking about. Aside from talking to Hoggle, he had had nothing to do with the Underground, and that was how he liked it.

"I haven't been interfering! Believe me, it is painful for me to know that you can't even take care of a load of leaves, but I am leaving you to it. You wanted my throne, have it."

"I will have it. I merely came here to remind you that you are not to come Underground again. I have spoken with your father, and he is in agreement."

"I'm sure that he is. I have no wish to come Underground again, but I request that you let me live my life Above without further interference. I have been punished, and I have accepted the terms of my punishment."

"You're clearly not thriving up here. Weak enough to be poisoned by iron? You'll be dead within the week." Rinat laughed, gesturing at the hospital bed Jareth was lying in.

"It was merely an unfortunate incident. It won't happen again." Jareth said coldly. "Now, if we're finished, I'd like to get out of here."

"As a little sweetener to our deal, I'll make your plaything believe you're free to leave. Oh, and I've wiped the memories of the human medics, just temporarily. They were asking some questions about the fact your body temperature dropped so low without dropping down dead, as well as your slow heartbeat. Think of it as a goodwill gesture."

"Thank you so much." He drawled sarcastically, although that was actually a rather helpful gesture on Rinat's part. Jareth was surprised he'd done that - the bastard seemed to relish any opportunity to make his life harder, so such an action was most unlike him. "I would make it clear though, I have done nothing to our world. I do not care about the Underground, it bores me. What exactly is it that you think I've been doing?"

"Nothing." Rinat said irritably, and Jareth wondered what had actually happened to warrant this personal visit from the King. Whatever it was, it mustn't be good. He would have to ask Hoggle what was going on at the next opportunity.

* * *

"I've never been to your apartment." Sarah said as she helped him up the stairs. He was fine, his strength returned to him now the iron had been removed, but Sarah still insisted on treating him like an invalid. "Also, I just realised I didn't even know you're date of birth at the hospital."

"1st April, 1957." He said, unlocking the door and hoping to anything that mattered that Hoggle wasn't waiting for him on the other side. When the door swang open, the apartment was empty. "I'm sorry, it's probably a bit of a mess. I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't been spending much time here lately."

"It's super dark in here." Sarah said, switching on a light. "Why is everything decorated in black?"

"It was like that when I moved in, I haven't bothered to change it." He shrugged. "I'm going to shower, I feel disgusting."

"Okay. I'll wait out here." Sarah said, taking off her coat and sitting down on his couch.

Jareth walked into the bathroom and immediately bolted the door. He removed his glamour, and turned the water to a temperature so hot it would burn the skin of any human. Stepping under the water, he let the scalding water sooth his still frigid skin. He needed time to think - he had come too close to death. There should have been more immunity to iron by now, he had been living up here for long enough. Something had weakened him, he just couldn't work out what.

The Labyrinth had stabilized, he could feel that. It's power fluctuated wildly, it always had for the past thousand years or so, but it was stronger than it had been a few weeks ago. None of this made sense; if he was going to die of iron poisoning, that should have happened years ago.

Rinat had been on edge, saying things that didn't make sense to Jareth - he had done nothing to interfere, yet his replacement had been so concerned that he had that he was willing to make the journey Above just to try and stop him. Hell, he even used magic to make the situation _easier_ for Jareth. Could it be possible that Rinat was trying to get him on side, or maybe lull him into a false sense of security? Whatever it was, Jareth felt a great sense of unease about the whole thing.

The water turned cold irritatingly quickly, and he turned the faucet off. He waved a hand and he was dry; his magic was still there, and he used it for little things. It made things a little easier, and he was glad that he still had some control. He had never really tried human drugs, terrified of what they would do to him, but whatever they had used to flush out the iron had worked wonders.

Now he just had to work out what the hell was going on.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Some things might seem a little unclear, but that's intentional (even if it wasn't, I'm just going to pretend it is).**

 **Just to clear up a bit of confusion - Sarah doesn't know who Jareth is, but she does know his name is Jareth (which is why she called him it). In the next chapter we're going to be jumping forward in time a little. Thanks for reading, please review!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

"That's your sixth cigarette in twenty minutes." Sarah said, waving her hand in front of her face to try and get rid of the smell. "It's disgusting."

"It's not that bad." He said irritably, as the wind carried away some of the smoke. They were walking back to her apartment from the bar, and it was freezing. Snow had fallen the previous day, and they were currently battling their way through the suspiciously colored sludge that lined the sidewalks. It was early January, and the city was going through a particularly cold patch.

"It's not that bad for you, you're clearly enjoying yourself. I'm so sick of always stinking of smoke whenever I see you. It's been like three months and my hair never smells clean. It's a filthy habit, you know." She said, her voice irritated. She rested her hand on the small of his back, unable to keep away from him even though she hated breathing in his smoke.

"I'm aware." He replied irritably, exhaling a huge amount of smoke. "Sarah, I ask for so little. Just let me do this."

"Passive smoking is not my idea of fun. I want you to quit." She said assertively; she had not said anything earlier, not wanting to look like that new girlfriend who immediately tried to change him.

"Why?" He groaned, taking a deep drag as if she would rip it from his fingers. "I don't say anything about your bad habits, can't you leave mine alone?"

"What bad habits?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. It was like he was trying to pick a fight with her.

"The constant clock watching, for a start. The way you shed hair everywhere."

"I can't help it, I have long hair." She said, crossing her arms defensively. "You're clutching at straws. Me leaving hair everywhere isn't going to make you sick is it? Passive smoking isn't good for me. I've been nice, especially after you were so sick but lately your smoking's just out of control. I hate it."

"I'm sorry, I'm just stressed." He admitted, throwing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his foot, using perhaps more force than was strictly necessary.

"What about?" She asked, leaning a little closer to him. "You don't look that well, now I look at you. Are you sleeping? You're not still taking those iron tablets are you?"

"No, I threw those out. Besides, I'm with you almost every night, dear." He purred, his hand snaking up her thigh. "How could I sleep with you next to me?"

"So you're not sleeping? Maybe you should have a night on your own." She screwed her forehead up in worry. "You're meant to be taking care of yourself. You got better quickly, you were lucky, but it's been three months and you're still always freezing. I almost lost you, Jerry. I don't think you understand just how sick you were."

"Sarah, don't send me home. I'll cut back, I swear. Don't make me sleep without you." He said, sounding a little pathetic. Sarah appreciated the sentiment; she hated being apart from him too. They had spent almost every spare hour they had together, either sleeping, making love or just talking. It had been three months, and Sarah was half waiting for the honeymoon period to end - or for him to realise she wasn't worth it.

"But you aren't sleeping, that's the point!" She protested. He snuck behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, whispering into her ear. It always got her when he did that, and he knew it. He knew all of her weaknesses, everything she liked, everything she _loved._ He had her wrapped around his finger - but then again, it was quite mutual.

"It's much nicer not sleeping when I have something beautiful to look at to pass the time."

"I don't want you to be stressed. If sleeping means you cut down on the cigarettes, I'm willing to sacrifice you for a night. How many packs are you getting through a day?"

"Two." He admitted sheepishly. "And a half."

"That's disgusting." She said, wrinkling her nose up.

"It's expensive, too." He agreed amiably.

"Why do you do it? It turns your teeth brown, gives you cancer, makes your fingers yellow..What's so great about it?" Sarah asked irritably, his nonchalant attitude pissing her off.

"It's a habit, like you say."

"Y'know, I was reading in a magazine that any habit can be broken in thirty days. Thirty days doesn't sound too bad, does it?" She said cheerily, leaning against his shoulder.

"It sounds like hell."

* * *

"Sarah wants me to stop smoking." Jareth told his cousin, whilst inhaling deeply on the thing he wasn't meant to be doing anymore. They were sat on Alice's tiny balcony above the bar, wrapped up in thick coats. It was freezing outside, but Alice insisted on no smoking in her flat. They were cold blooded, like the snakes they were, Jareth thought, and the cold froze him to his bones.

"Why?"

"It's bad for me, apparently. And she hates it."

"Can't you just make her think you aren't? Use a simple spell or something." Jareth looked at her pointedly, taking a deep drag. "What's going on, Jareth?"

"I'm getting weaker." He admitted, stubbing the end of the cigarette out in fury. "It's all I can do to maintain the glamour I use. And I'm.." He stopped mid sentence, unable to finish. Alice looked at his thin frame, his shaking hands.

"And you're in pain." Alice finished, knowing that to Jareth to admit pain was to admit weakness. "Is it that bad? You're smoking more than a chimney lately."

"They're the only thing that ease the pain." Jareth admitted, thinking of the agony that wracked him night after night. No human drugs would work on him, and he didn't exactly have access to anything Fae at the moment. Hoggle couldn't get him anything, so he was entirely reliant on cigarettes. At least it wasn't iron poisoning again; this was the same pain he'd felt during his life Above, but amplified. The pain of magic dying was excruciating.

Nicotine was a powerful drug, and to the Fae it was a kind of narcotic. It dulled the ache of his magic leaving him, and he had come to rely on them like a crutch. It was an addiction, the same as any other, and the thought of being without them panicked him. The pain was getting worse, he knew it.

"What's going to happen?" Alice asked. "My magic is weaker up here, sure. But you seem to be losing all control. Look at what happened to you, you ended up in the hands of mortal doctors. Anything could have happened. You need to be more careful."

"Maybe I'll end up mortal." He shrugged, his fingers tapping on the box of cigarettes mindlessly.

"Then you better kick the habit, that stuff kills mortals." Alice looked at him closely; he did look awful. Thin, with angry purple bags underneath his eyes. He was his true self with her, his long hair blowing in the breeze. Her markings were uncovered too, red and sliver glimmering above her eyes. "Is this because of the Labyrinth?"

"What have you heard of the Labyrinth?" He asked suspiciously, another cigarette between his lips already. "Who have you been talking to?"

"Someone on the grapevine." Alice shrugged. He looked up at her with hopeful eyes, and she shook her head. "They can't get you any proper drugs, before you ask. They put themselves in enough danger to talk to me without passing magical material along to me. You know I'm not supposed to have any potions."

"I know." He gritted out. "What did they say about the Labyrinth?"

"That it's dying." She said quietly, looking out over the neighborhood. Sirens blared in the distance, and Jareth was irritated. This city would never shut up. Everything overwhelmed his senses, and he longed for the simplicity of his previous life.

"I knew that." He said, taking another drag. "Hoggle told me months ago. He told me that it's slowed down a little, things seemed to have stabilized. Is Rinat still trying to pretend there's a war on?"

"You knew? Why haven't you done anything to stop it?!" Alice asked, her voice incredulous.

"You think I haven't tried?" He asked bitterly. "I went to negotiate with my father when I first found out, he allowed me to pass Underground. That eased the pain for about five minutes. Then he kicked me out again, laughing in my face. Then, when I was in hospital with that blasted iron poisoning, His Majesty the Goblin King deigned to visit me himself. He acted as though there was nothing wrong; said that he's got all kind of Oracles who know how to solve the problem. They think they know how to fix it; they have no idea."

"So it will die?" Alice asked, frowning. She wasn't that familiar with the Goblin Kingdom; she had grown up in the High City, where most Fae resided.

"If something isn't done to stop it, then yes it will." Jareth told her.

"How can your father be so selfish?! If Aunt Ro-"

"Don't say her name." Jareth said firmly, his face lost behind a cloud of smoke. "Don't say it."

"I'm just saying, if your mother was still here, this would never have been allowed. It's ridiculous, kicking you out just because some kid beat the Labyrinth. It was bound to happen eventually, why does it matter so much?"

Jareth paused a minute.

"I know why it matters so much." He said quietly, lighting yet another cigarette. Alice looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?" She asked slowly, frowning. "What have you done?"

"I'm going to be honest for a moment with you, and you have to promise not to hit me." Jareth said hesitantly, knowing how quick his cousin was to temper, and how hard she could punch.

"Why would I hit you?" She asked, looking baffled by her cousin's odd statement.

"Because you're going to be mad at me." He said simply, sounding like a child.

"What have you done?" She repeated, and Jareth felt like a small child being chided by it's mother.

"Nothing!" Jareth said defensively. "It's just there's something I've been keeping from you, cousin. I should have told you weeks ago, but I didn't want to."

"You've been lying to me? All I've done for you, everything I've risked for you and you've been lying to me?!" Smoke began to rise from the top of Alice's head; she never could control her temper. Jareth moved away from her, rolling his eyes.

"Will you calm down? I don't want to have a human fireball on my hands thank you." He told her, at the same time wondering if standing next to her when she was on fire would finally warm him up.

"I'm not human." She reminded him, though she tried to relax herself. The smoke blew away in the breeze, and Jareth waited until he was sure she had calmed down.

"Will you let me speak now?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright."

"It was Sarah." He said, almost under his breath. Alice looked at him, not understanding what he meant.

"What was Sarah?" She asked slowly. "What's Sarah got to do with anything?"

"The runner, who defeated the Labyrinth, who defeated me. It was Sarah." Jareth said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"What?" Alice asked, blinking a few times. "How could it be Sarah? I thought you only met her when she started working at the bar?!"

"No. I didn't do anything to get her there, before you ask."

"So, she knows that you're the-" Alice began, but Jareth interrupted her before she could say "Goblin King".

"No, of course she doesn't. Her memory was wiped by the council." He said. "She has no memory of it at all. She believes it was all a dream inspired by an obsession with a book."

"You're sure you didn't do anything to get her to you? No spells, no curses?"

"I had been looking for her, but I was waiting until she was old enough." He admitted. "I couldn't find her in this damn city, I've been looking for her for near on two years. I knew she'd be here, I could feel it. I got close, with her roommate. And you inadvertently brought Sarah herself to me. I'm grateful."

"Why? You're not going to hurt her are you?" Alice asked, looking at him sternly. He laughed bitterly.

"Are you mad? I love the girl, it must be obvious enough." Jareth said, saying the words that he hadn't even told Sarah yet.

"I'm sorry, but I can never be sure. We're Fae, and you know what most of them are like. They'd kill their grandma for a chance of power, and you had your power snatched from you because of her. It's not like you don't have all the motive for one hell of a grudge against her."

"I don't blame her." He shrugged. "I blame myself. I fell in love with her there, it weakened me. I tried every trick to defeat her, to make her stay with me. None of them worked. The Labyrinth knew she must win, and it overpowered me."

"And now?" Alice asked. "Are you tricking her now?"

"No. No, aside from the whole 'I'm magic and when you were fifteen I wanted to marry you' part of the story, I have no secrets from her."

"What are you going to do?" She asked. "You're going to get weaker, and you don't know what's going to happen. I hate to say it, but coupled with the iron all around us, you could die. Hell, you came close enough to it."

"I'm not going to die." He said firmly, as though that would make it so. "I will fix this. The iron poisoning was a slip, triggered by traveling on a metal train. I won't be doing that again, that's for sure. Those symptoms have gone, now it's just the Labyrinth causing me problems. I'll fix it."

"You can't fix everything." Alice said quietly. He was all she had, her only family and her only ally in this world. "Can't you try and explain to your father? If he knew you were dying.."

"He knew full well that I was weakening faster than ever when I saw him. My death would be welcome to him, you know how much he despises me."

"You didn't kill her, Jareth. You know that." Alice said softly, placing a hand on his. He looked at her for a moment, and she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. He blinked, and looked away from her, wrenching his hand away from her.

"I know I didn't." He said tersely, lighting yet another cigarette. "I know I didn't kill her, it was just an accident. The Labyrinth was young, it was unruly. But he blames me."

"You weren't even there!" Alice protested, seeing the pain in his face. His mother's death was a touchy subject, one he had never spoken to her openly about.

"Exactly, Alice! I wasn't there." He inhaled deeply, almost coughing as the smoke caught in his throat. "These damn things aren't even working anymore. Maybe I should quit. Try and make Sarah happy."

"Is she not happy?" Alice asked, frowning. Sarah was a sweet girl, and Alice didn't like to think of her being miserable, especially not on her cousin's account.

"I think she is. I'm just - I'm just terrified I'm going to lose her. She's the only piece of happiness I have left." Jareth said, the cigarette trembling in is fingers.

"Gee, don't mention the constant moral and financial support your cousin gives you. Jerk." Alice said, digging him in the ribs. "I know she is, but you need to relax. She's head over heels for you, any idiot can see that."

"Is she?" Jareth asked, seeming insecure even though he had a smug little smile on his face. "I suppose. I love her very much."

"I know. It's nice to see you so contended. We'll figure this out. Maybe you should leave the city, go on vacation?" Alice suggested, kicking around some ice that was left on the ground.

"How would I get there? You know an airplane would kill me, and I can't stand to be in a car for more than an hour. I daren't risk the train again, not after last time." Jareth said irritably, picking at his nails just to keep his fingers busy. "I'm not exactly spoilt for choice. Anywhere in close distance to here is freezing. I need heat, I miss the Underground. It's always cold up here."

"Magic? You came here using it today, you must have enough left to transport yourself somewhere a little more glamorous than my balcony."

"Yes, but it would be rather nice if I didn't have to vacation alone. I like to keep Sarah close to me." He said. His fingers edged over the packet of cigarettes, as though he was itching to take one. In frustration, he took the last three out of the pack and ripped them up, throwing them on the floor.

"Hey, don't litter." She looked closely at her cousin, and for the first time since his banishment, he looked truly lost. "Are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"Who you really are?" Alice said, and he shook his head firmly. "You should."

"Why? She's never going to find out, and all it would do is ruin things. I've been lying to her."

"You thought that was for the best at the time. Perhaps now you're together, honesty would be a better path to tread." She urged him, and he shook his head.

"Perhaps, but how would it look? If she could remember what happened all those years ago in the Labyrinth, she'd never trust me."

"And why should she trust you? You are tricking her." Alice said, and he glared at her. He had hoped she would be on his side, but that clearly wasn't the case. "Whether you accept it or not, whatever reasons you use to justify your actions, you are tricking her."

Jareth said nothing.

After a minute's uncomfortable silence, Alice spoke again.

"You still haven't told me why it matters that it was Sarah that defeated the Labyrinth. Her memory's been wiped, she doesn't remember you. Why would that matter now?" She asked, frowning. "The only reason I can see that you're keeping this from her is because you're worried about the consequences for yourself. Is there something else?"

"Do you really care?" He asked, wishing he hadn't torn up his cigarettes.

"Stop it." She said sharply. She could sound commanding when she wanted; over the years, her English accent had turned American, but when she was angry she sounded like the Queen of England. "Just because I've dared to criticize you, don't get all moody with me. You tell me what is going on or I swear to God you can go and find another job."

"Maybe I'll find a boss who isn't such an utter pain in the arse." Jareth contemplated, and she shoved his shoulder.

"Tell me now!"

"Because she not only defeated the Labyrinth and rejected me, but she had a power all of her own! She managed to break free of enchantments and undo me with just her words. There's something within her, I know it. Perhaps the Labyrinth has it's sights on her as a replacment for me, and if anyone were to find out.."

"What? That's nonsense, it makes no sense at all." Alice said, standing up. He was irritating her, he could see, and she began pacing up and down the small outside space.

"Maybe I'm going mad, as well as dying."

"You have to tell her, Jareth. You need to let her decide, you can't play around with her. You love her, if she loves you then it won't matter. But if you don't tell her now, it will be too late - by the time she finds out it will ruin everything."

"No." Jareth said through gritted teeth. "She's never going to find out. It would just put her in danger!"

"You're making a mistake. The only danger you're scared of is the fact you might lose her, you're being a selfish prick!"

"You'd know all about mistakes, wouldn't you cousin?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alice asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Your own romantic adventures with mortals have ended badly, now you are trying to pass judgement on mine." He said witheringly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Alice had indeed gotten herself tangled up with mortals in the past, but throwing it in her face had been a panicked reaction.

"How dare you?!" She said, tears springing to her eyes. "That is a cheap shot and you know it. You know what, Jareth? I've been living up here for hundreds of years. Maybe I'm not like you anymore. Maybe you are just a cold, evil bastard after all."

"Alice, I'm sorry.."

"No! If you want to go and mess up your life and make yourself miserable, then go ahead. If you continue lying, you jeopardize everything you've been dreaming of for the past seven years. Tread carefully, and don't come crying to me when you screw this up."

Then, she vanished.

* * *

Jareth left Alice's apartment pretty sharpish after that, appearing at Sarah's front door. It was getting late on a Sunday night, and she would be studying. He knocked briefly on the door, and she opened it almost straight away. She broke into a wide smile, throwing her arms around him. It was funny, even though they spent every free second they had with one another, every time they saw each other was just like the first time.

"I missed you." She said, after kissing him firmly. She pulled him into the apartment, closing the door behind him. She sat down at the kitchen table, which was covered in notes. Her play was opening in a few days, and she was immersed in preparation.

"I've only been gone a few hours, love." He said with a smile.

"I still missed you. How was Alice?"

"Not much different to how she was last night." He said with a chuckle, not mentioning the fact that his cousin was absolutely furious with him. Sarah didn't even know that she was his cousin - when he stopped to think, he really was keeping an awful lot of secrets. He looked at the array of books on the table, and was alarmed to see a familiar green one.

"I thought you lost that one?" He asked lightly; actually, he had stolen it when she was asleep one night. He'd taken it back to his apartment to study it properly, but it had vanished before he'd had the chance. That was almost two months ago, and he'd assumed the book had gone back to wherever it had come from. Never assume, he told himself.

"I thought I did, but I found it under my bed. Weird right? I thought I'd looked there. Guess not. Do you want dinner? I was thinking of getting Chinese food."

Sarah watched as he stood there with the book in his hand, not listening to her. "Jerry!" She said sharply to get his attention, and he shook his head as though snapped out of a trance.

"Whatever you want darling. Can I read a little of this?"

"Yeah, go ahead." She looked at him carefully. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" He asked, flipping through the book. "Yes, perfectly fine."

"You're sure? You look kind of funny. Maybe you should lie down. It's getting late, we could always go to bed."

"Bed sounds like a marvelous idea." He purred, setting the book down and scooping her out of her chair.

"I didn't mean like that!" She protested as he started to kiss her neck. Protestations gave way to a breathy laugh as she threw her head back. He put her down on her bed, and just looked at her for a moment. She looked uneasy under his close gaze, feeling self conscious. "What?"

"I love you." He said simply, brushing his thumb over her cheek tenderly. She beamed up at him.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry if any of this doesn't make sense, I've got some weird kind of bug and I feel all spacey and feverish. I thought it would be nice to give Jareth a proper chapter all to himself and get a bit more of an idea of his backstory (well, the one I've invented anyway), I hope you enjoyed it.**


	11. Chapter 11

Jareth looked over at Sarah to make sure she was sleeping soundly. He sat in the corner on the floor in just his trousers, his legs tucked beneath him. He touched the pages of the book in his hand, and they glowed with a golden light. The words were illuminated, allowing him to read without switching on a light. He had opened the page where the magic felt strongest, and as he began to read, he knew why he had been drawn to that particular passage.

 _The Fae were born long before humans - their world exists in a plane of it's own, connected to Above by threads akin to a spider's web. Time passes differently in each land, and Underground time fluctuates. A day can be an hour, an hour can be a day. The connection between the two worlds is a delicate one; it relies on magic to remain intact. This thread was forged by Fae fascinated by humankind; the Fae used the humans they found as playthings, creating chaos for their own entertainment.  
_

 _The High King tried to suppress this transition into the mortal world, fearing the unknown consequences. The young Fae would not listen, too driven by their lust for mischief and the easily influenced mortal woman who resided Above. The Fae were irresistible to the mortals, though the mortals posed their own threat to the will of the Fae._

 _As time progressed, the Fae began to disrupt the human world. The theft of babies, known as changelings, became widespread, allowing humans into the Fae world. The magic within the Underground weakened as Fae children were exchanged for mortal ones - the power required to turn these changelings into Fae was enormous._

 _The changelings began to grow out of control, dividing the Underground into Kingdoms, ignoring all previous political structures. Power was all they desired, destroying races considered to be inferior to them. They cared not for the lives of the innocents. The High King lost control, unable to restrain the rebellion. It took an epidemic of sickness to convince the young Fae to refrain from loving humans, and from this came a new decree that to interfere in the Mortal Realm would be punished with banishment. To love a human would be punished with the mortal's death, the Fae banished above to live their immortal life alone. To expose the existence of the Underground is punished in the most severe form - the depletion of all powers to allow execution.  
_

 _From the chaos and the disorder, a new creation was formed in one Kingdom - a being all of it's own, unable to be governed by the Fae._

Jareth took a sharp intake of breath before turning the page, knowing what the next words were going to be.

 _The Labyrinth is a being beyond understanding; capable of the destruction of the entire Underground if allowed to rule itself. It is for this reason that there must always be a Goblin King - for the Goblin Kingdom is where the Labyrinth resides, and the Labyrinth holds no respect for the court of the High King - who can match the Labyrinth's immense power, and control it. If the Goblin King loses control, there is no telling what the Labyrinth will do. Perhaps it will wither and die - lost without it's master.  
_

This book was a strange thing; it spoke of secret knowledge, knowledge that humans had no grasp of. Yet here it was, in the hands of Sarah. This had been given to her, he was sure of it, but for what purpose?

 _There has only been one Goblin King who has truly ruled the Labyrinth; Jareth, son of the High King. It was foreseen that he, although young at the time, was at one with the Labyrinth - the only Fae capable of expressing any control over the Labyrinth. He dared to question the Labyrinth's power - and was repaid in kind. The High Queen perished within it's hedges, as a reminder to her son of the true force that he denied. He will face defeat, and the Labyrinth will not tolerate his banishment. The world will fall into peril, the Labyrinth will die.  
_

 _He will die too._

 _Unless-  
_ The writing had faded here.

 _Be warned, Jareth._

Jareth slammed the book shut in panic, wincing as the sound echoed through the darkness. His heart raced, his breath coming from him in short, sharp bursts. The words were written to him, they were speaking to him. He tried to open the book again, but it was as if the pages were glued shut.

"What's wrong?" Sarah mumbled, half asleep. She sat up and switched the bedside lamp on, frowning at him. She was naked, wrapped up in the bed sheet with only her shoulders on display. She looked divine, her long brown hair curling over her collarbone delicately. She was truly beautiful. "What are you doing up? It's four AM."

"I'm sorry, darling. I was just reading this book." He tried to explain, wondering how on earth he could pretend to be reading it in the dark. "I couldn't sleep."

"What book?" Sarah said, frowning as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. "There's nothing there."

Jareth looked down at his lap; the book was gone.

"Come back to bed, baby." She told him wearily, turning the lamp off and snuggling back under the covers. "'S too early to be reading."

He padded over to the bed and climbed in beside her, holding her close to him. His heart hammered in his chest, so hard that he was sure she would notice. The book had unnerved him; it bore no author's name, yet contained such intricate detail that it could only be written by someone who had true knowledge of the Underground - and the Labyrinth. Those people were few and far between; Jareth kept the secrets of the Labyrinth just that - secret.

"I love you, Sarah." He murmured into her hair, needing to tell her how he felt. Those words weren't the easiest for his kind to say, yet they fell from his lips like rain from the sky.

"Love you too." She said drowsily, and he could see even in the darkness that she was smiling. The words were new, tentative, but just to hear them on her lips made him feel something he had never felt before. This wasn't infatuation, or obsession; this was something far simpler. Pure, even. All the urges he had felt for revenge, or retribution were gone - all he cared about now was making this creature in his arms happy.

He'd never felt so concerned for the happiness of someone other than himself, and frankly it terrified him.

"I truly, truly love you. You know that, don't you?" He said softly, knowing she was falling asleep. She fell asleep so easily, all she had to do was close her eyes. Sleep didn't come so easily to him.

"Uhhuh." She mumbled, her breathing slowing down and her words growing thick. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." He said uneasily. "Yes, I'm alright now."

He waited a while, his thoughts racing through his mind. Sarah went limp in his arms, breathing evenly as she slept peacefully.

"I will tell you, Sarah." He whispered into her hair. "I will tell you, but I don't want to lose you."

* * *

"Are you working tonight?" Sarah asked in the morning, running her fingers through the downy hair on his chest.

"I don't know if I still have a job." He told her, and she frowned up at him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked. "What happened last night?"

"Alice and I had a little disagreement." He said stiffly, not wanting to get pushed into details.

"About what?" She asked, incredulous that he hadn't told her sooner.

"Oh, just things." He said lightly. She sighed, and he watched as she chewed on her lip. "What's wrong?"

"I need to ask you something, Jerry." She said, her voice hesitant. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Go ahead." He said smoothly, kissing the side of her head. Really, his heart was racing yet again, wondering what she could need to talk to him about.

"Were you and Alice.." She began, her voice trailing off. Jareth tried not to laugh as she tried to find the words. Really, she was rather innocent when it came to matters of the flesh, and vocalising the question he knew she was going to ask was difficult for her.

"Yes?" He urged her, watching as she blushed. She looked delicious when she was embarassed.

"Um.." Sarah hesitated, and Jareth took pity on her.

"Sarah, are you asking if Alice and I have ever been lovers?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, and Sarah nodded, relieved he'd said it before she had to.

"Yeah." She said sheepishly, turning red.

"Sarah, Alice is my cousin." He told her, trying not to laugh. Sarah looked confused, chewing on her thumb nail.

"What?" She asked for clarification. "What do you mean she's your cousin?"

"She's my cousin." He shrugged easily, and she leant on one elbow and looked at him carefully. "My mother's sister's child."

"Why haven't you told me that before?" Sarah asked; after all, she had known Alice for as long as she had known Jerry, yet there had never been any mention of the fact they knew each other as anything other than work colleagues.

"It didn't come up." He said, moving down to kiss her neck, trying to distract her.

"I don't know anything about your family."

"You know Alice is my cousin, and that my father hates me. Done."

"You never talk about your mother." Sarah said, looking at him carefully. Jareth set his face in stone, determined not to show any emotion. He hated talking about his mother; he couldn't even hear her name.

"I don't want to talk about my mother." He said quietly, kissing her head. "You never talk about your mother either. I can think of more interesting things to do than talk about our mothers."

"I feel like I don't know anything about you sometimes. You always seem kinda..aloof." She said thoughtfully.

"Aloof?"

"I feel like you're keeping something back from me." She admitted quietly. "Don't get me wrong, I love you and I love our time together, but it just feels like you're not telling me something. It's been three months, and sometimes I feel like I barely know you."

"You know everything that matters." He said, pulling her into him. He hadn't realised he had been so obvious; perhaps he wasn't as good as behaving like a human as he'd thought. Humans were so damn free with their emotions, blabbing all their feelings to anyone who would listen. Fae were the opposite; keeping everything inside. Emotions were for the weak.

"I do?" She asked, her voice so small he struggled to hear her. "Tell me what matters."

"What matters is that I love you. It's been the best three months of my entire life, darling. You've changed me, can't you tell?" He said sincerely, wondering if words would ever be enough to express the depth of his feelings. It felt like they were in a world all of their own; it only mattered that they had each other. He wondered if she felt it too.

"I don't want to change you." She smiled, running a hand through his messy hair. "I like the way you are. I just wish you'd talk a little more about yourself. I never know what you're thinking."

"Right now I'm thinking how beautiful you look." He said with a small smile, kissing her gently.

"Charmer." She smiled, running her hands up and down his chest. She splayed her fingers out over his heart, feeling the gentle rhythm under her palm.

"And how beautiful you'd look writhing underneath me." He said, burying his face in her neck and bringing a hand to her breasts. She flushed instantly, her skin turning hot. He could undo her with just a few touches, he knew her body better than he knew himself. He had spent hours exploring her, until every freckle, every line was ingrained in his memory.

"Jerry!" She said breathlessly. "Stop, not right now."

He stopped instantly, looking at her carefully. She looked uneasy.

"What's wrong?" He asked, frowning in concern.

"Nothing!" She said quickly. "I think you should go see Alice, you know. Make peace with her."

"You're right." He said, rolling onto his back. "Why are you always right, darling?"

"I don't know. Just a gift." She said, getting out of bed and immediately putting her robe on. Jareth looked at her; she didn't look right. Something was wrong.

"Are you sure you're alright love? You look a little pale." The flush that had flooded her face was gone, leaving a grey tone on her face.

"I'm fine!" She said hastily, pulling the robe tight around her and avoiding his gaze.

She was hiding something.

* * *

Jareth knocked on Alice's door; he had decided against using magic to get there, instead using the long walk to plan exactly what to say. Apologies weren't his strong point.

She opened it after a minute, poking her head round. When she saw it was him, she tried to slam it.

"Alice." He said, his voice firm and commanding. She looked at him through furious eyes, then moved away from the door, allowing him in. "Thank you."

"You're not fired, if that's what you're worried about." She said, heading up the stairs to her apartment. He followed her without invitation. "But I am still pissed at you."

"Understood." He said. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Something strange is happening. Sarah had this book, I saw it a few months ago and I stole it."

"Right. What was it? Lady Chatterley's Lover?" Alice asked cynically, sitting down on her couch and crossing her arms.

"No." He said irritably. "It was a Fae book. Infused with powerful magic. Ancient, from the feel of things."

"Who's magic?" Alice asked, frowning. "Did you recgonise it?"

"I couldn't tell." He admitted. "It wasn't my father's, I'd know that, and it wasn't Rinat."

"Did you bring it with you?" Alice asked. "Maybe I could have a go."

"That's the thing. When I stole it, I meant to destroy it but the bloody thing vanished before I had the chance. Then last night, it appeared again."

"So where is it now?" She asked, thoroughly puzzled by the riddle of the disappearing book.

"I was reading it, and the words - the words weren't right. They held too much information, they spoke of the Labyrinth's creation, the chaos caused by our interference with the humans. This is not the usual clap trap people spout about our kind, this was real. It was our true history, not mythology."

"How did Sarah get it?" Alice asked. "Did someone give it to her?"

"No, she found it in a library. Whether it was coincidence or not is all up for debate. That isn't what I'm worried about now. There was something else." He said uneasily, the memory of the words within the book sending a shiver down his spine.

"What?"

"It addressed me." He said, playing with the ends of his hair nervously. His glamour was gone, and Alice looked at him carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"The words inside it were written as if speaking to me. Then, when I slammed it shut, the blasted thing wouldn't open again. It vanished as soon as Sarah woke."

"That's impossible." She blinked. "Objects don't have that kind of power on their own."

"I am aware." He said shortly. "That's what makes this whole thing so bloody odd."

"What did it say to you?" Alice asked.

"It said 'the Labyrinth will not tolerate his banishment' and then something that was completely illegible. Then, at the bottom of the page it said ' be warned, Jareth'."

"Shit." Alice said simply.

"Indeed."

* * *

"Got it!" Nikki called out, letting the front door bang shut behind her. She handed Sarah a brown paper bag, then took her jacket and scarf off and hung them up by the door. "One pregnancy test. Just pee on the stick."

"Keep your voice down!" Sarah hissed, peering inside the bag to see a white and blue box. "You know how thin these walls are, I don't want Mrs Lebowitz next door knowing the ins and outs of my personal life!"

"The walls _are_ thin, I'd say she knows all the ins and outs already." Nikki said, trying not to laugh. "Okay, go pee."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Jerry's not here, it's the perfect timing. Just do it."

Sarah took the little white stick out of the box, grabbing the instructions with it. She went into the bathroom and shut the door. She closed the lid of the toilet, and sat down. She wasn't ready to take the test. It was probably nothing - one skipped period and a little nausea. It could be stress. They had always been safe, every single time. Frankly, Sarah was spending so much money on condoms that she was pretty sure she should be given shares in the company.

"Are you okay in there?" Nikki asked through the door.

"Fine. Just give me a minute, 'kay?" She said weakly. If this stick told her she was pregnant, her whole life was about to change. It had only been three months, and she was unsure if Jerry would even stick around.

Nikki hovered outside the door, chewing her lip. She was jarred out of her thoughts when there was a loud tapping at the front door. The buzzer hadn't gone off, someone must have left the front door open again. Oh crap, that someone was her.

She went over to the door and looked through the peep hole. It was Jerry.

"Shit!" She hissed without thinking. She could see him looking through the peephole, and she ducked down against the door.

"Nikki, is that you? Stop swearing and let me in." His disgruntled English accent came floating through the wood, and Nikki cursed herself for being so stupid. She opened the door a little, poking her head through the crack.

"Um, hey. Sarah's not here right now." She said, trying to act natural.

"Nikki! I need your help." Sarah's voice came from the bathroom, and Nikki screwed her eyes shut, knowing her lie had been caught out.

"What's going on?" Jerry asked patiently, and Nikki stood her ground, gripping the door so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Um, nothing. Wait there." She went to shut the door, but his foot stopped her.

"Nikki, just let me in. I'm sure whatever is happening is perfectly fine and legitimate, but if you make me wait out here my thoughts are going to turn to the possibility of things that _aren't_ perfectly fine happening in there."

"Alright." Nikki relented, letting go of the door. Jerry walked in, his eyes looking around suspiciously. "Sarah, Jerry's here."

"What?" Came the strangled cry from the bathroom.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Jerry asked, walking towards the door. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the long, rectangular box sitting on the kitchen table. He picked it up, his heart thumping in his chest. "Oh. Sarah, come out darling. I think we need a word about this box on the table."

"Um, I'm going to go out." Nikki said, grabbing her jacket and scarf. "See you later."

The door slammed shut, but Jerry didn't notice. He was just staring at the packet in his hands, reading the words "pregnancy test" over and over again.

Sarah opened the door, the stick in her hand.

"I'm sorry, I was going to tell you."

"What does it say?" He asked, gesturing to the test. She looked down at it hesitantly, seeing the window was still blank.

"I'll know in a minute." She said quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"We. I'm here too, you know." He said, pulling her to him. She stuck her arm holding the stick out away from them, leaning into his chest. "Either way, I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?" She asked hesitantly. "I was scared you'd run away."

"From you, darling? Never. I love you, you know that. Is this what was going on earlier? Why you were asking me all the questions about my family?"

"Yeah." She said uneasily. "I'm sorry, I was just feeling pretty down."

"I don't understand, we've been safe every time." He said quietly, watching one of Sarah's damn clocks ticking too slowly.

"I guess it can happen once in a while. Those things aren't a hundred percent effective anyways."

"True. How long's it been?" Jerry asked, and Sarah looked at her watch.

"Twenty eight seconds."

"Oh."

They both sat down at the table, the stick placed in the middle of the table. Sarah was too nervous to speak, just holding Jerry's hand so tightly it went white. He stroked her hair, his eyes never moving from the plastic stick that would decide their future.

After what felt like forever, Sarah picked the stick up. One line.

"Negative." She said, exhaling. "Oh, thank God."

"Are you happy?" He asked cautiously, still clutching her hand.

"Well, yeah. Now's not the right time for us to have a baby, I'm still at college plus neither of us has enough money to have a kid." Sarah said, surprised he wasn't jumping for joy. "Aren't you?"

"I'm happy if you're happy." He said lightly, kissing her firmly. "I agree though, it's not the right time. One day, I hope."

"You do?" Sarah asked with a small smile.

"I love you, Sarah. I don't say those words easily, and when I say them I mean them. With everything I have."

Sarah wasn't sure what to say, so she kissed him instead. When they broke apart, he looked at her seriously.

"Sarah, why did you think you were pregnant?"

"Um, I don't know, a few reasons. I've been feeling pretty off lately, like queasy and weak all the time. Plus I, er, skipped a period." She told him, still feeling awkward discussing things like that.

"You should see a doctor." He told her, stroking her face gently. "Get checked over."

"I know, I will. I'll make an appointment first thing Monday. Anyway. How was Alice?" She sniffed at him, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "You've been smoking."

"My last one, I promise." He said, still holding her close to him. "She was fine. I'm more worried about you, precious."

"I'm fine! I've just been feeling a little off lately. I've been having all these crazy dreams." She said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes as he ran a finger down her neck.

"Dreams?" He asked lightly, his fingers curled in the hair trailing down her back. "What kind of dreams?"

"Dreams about the Labyrinth, remember that book I told you about? Except they're different now. There's this guy, this guy with a pointy face, and he just keeps laughing. He never says anything, he just laughs. I guess he's the Goblin King, 'cause he's in the Labyrinth. It's kind of creepy. My mind's weird, I guess."

"Do you still have the book?" He asked with interest, his voice light and casual. "I'd like to read it, so I know what you're talking about."

"I did, but I was reading it a few months ago and when I came back, it was gone. I figured I'd just dropped it somewhere, but I've looked everywhere. Can't see it. I tried to look for it in a bookshop, but nobody had ever even heard of it." Sarah shrugged.

"How odd." Jerry said, and Sarah could have sworn he looked uneasy. "Can I have a look? I'm good at finding things."

"Knock yourself out."

He went into her room and casually kicked the door shut. He shut his eyes, trying to gather enough magic to do a summoning spell. Nothing came to him. He had never given much thought to the book telling the Labyrinth's story - he had dismissed it as the ramblings of a runner, traces of memory turned into a story. Yet, if what Sarah was saying was true and nobody had ever even heard of the book - maybe there was something darker.

He needed to see Hoggle.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, updates might be slower than usual because I'm going back to work this week and I'm still sick. This is the last of my pre-written stuff and even that was only 1,000 words. I'm feeling a little blocked, so if there's anything you think is missing just let me know and I'll sort it. I hope you liked this chapter, I'm not too sure of it.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This chapter contains some fairly explicit sexual situations.**

* * *

Sarah stood against the counter, drinking a glass of water as she waited for Jerry to come out from her room. She was still a little unnerved by the fact she had genuinely thought she was pregnant, and hovered somewhere between relief and a strange kind of disappointment.

She could hear things being tossed around in her room, and she frowned. He was really going to town looking for this book, wasn't he? She padded over to the door and pushed it open. Jerry was on his hands and knees, head under her bed.

"It doesn't really matter. It's just a book." She said, trying not to stare at his ass. He jumped at the sound of her voice, clunking his head against the bed. She winced at the sound of his skull hitting the metal frame. "Sorry."

"It's alright." He said, with a grumble. He emerged from under the bed, rubbing his head. "Who needs brain cells anyway? There's no sign of the book."

"I didn't think so. It's a shame, I could use a good story right about now. Although I'm getting a little sick of fairies." She said, leaning against the door frame. She expected Jerry to get up, but instead he stayed kneeling on the floor, still rubbing at the sore spot on the back of his head.

"Are there fairies involved?" He asked lightly, sitting down on the floor and holding out his arms for her to come and join him. "I want you to tell me the story."

She sat down in his lap, shifting so her legs were hanging off his thighs and she was cradled against him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Outside, the sky darkened and rain began to fall, hammering against the window pane. Sarah hoped there wouldn't be thunder; she hated storms. Although right now, safely encased in Jerry's arms, it wouldn't be so bad.

"The weather's funny today." Sarah said, looking at the grey sky outside over Jerry's shoulder. "It was sunny a minute ago."

"It's winter." Jerry shrugged. "No doubt the rain will turn to snow soon enough. The weather forecast predicts a blizzard in the coming days."

"Does it?" Sarah asked with a frown. "I've been so busy I've not even had time to look at the news."

"How's the play coming? I'm sorry, I haven't even asked."

"Good. You're coming to opening night on Tuesday, right?" She asked, feeling nervous at the prospect

"Front row, darling." He told her, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"No, you'll make me nervous. Back row. I've booked you seats with my family, I hope that's alright. Toby might not keep still. I might not see you until then, after tonight of course. I'll be rehearsing pretty late for the next three days and if you're working, maybe we should spend a couple days apart."

"Whatever you want, darling. You'll need your beauty sleep, I know that me finishing work so late isn't particularly social."

"It's fine. I'm just glad you still have a job." Sarah shrugged. "Was Alice alright in the end?"

"Yes, I think so. She wants to come to see you too, but she's not sure if she'll be able to."

"That'd be nice. I feel like I should get to know her better. She's your only family here, after all." She paused, thinking. "You never told me what your argument was about you know."

"Do I have to go into it?" He asked irritably, and Sarah frowned. "I'm sorry darling. It was a stupid argument about nothing in particular. I believe she called me a 'selfish prick' at one point. Just a family tiff."

"A tiff?" Sarah asked. "Is that another English word?"

"Yes." He laughed. "Tiff, meaning small fight or disagreement. It's blown over now, she was fine when I went to see her earlier. We grew up together, our mothers were very close."

"What was your mother's name?" Sarah asked softly, leaning her head against his shoulder. She stroked his hand softly. He took a shaky breath, and she wondered if she had asked the wrong question.

"Her name was Rowan." He told her, and when Sarah looked up at him, his eyes were tightly shut. "Like the leaves."

"That's a beautiful name." Sarah said, feeling guilty that she had brought this up when she knew he didn't like talking to his mother. She had no idea how or when she had died, only that she was dead.

"She was a beautiful person. Too beautiful for my father, certainly." He said bitterly, his mouth turned down at the corners.

"What's your father's name?" She asked, unable to imagine Jerry's father. If he was disappointed in his son, she guessed that meant he was rather stuffy and stereo typically English. Sarah imagined a stern, fat man with a cigar. Oh wait, she was pretty sure she was picturing Winston Churchill.

"Henry." Jerry said, after a moment's pause. "His name is Henry."

"What happened to her?" Sarah asked hesitantly. It might be wrong to ask, but he had never mentioned anything about her death. Sarah wondered if he somehow blamed himself.

"A terrible accident." Jerry said, his voice choked. "When I was a boy. I can't.."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it. It was insensitive of me."

"Sarah, I wish for you to know everything there is to know about me. Some things, however, are too painful for me. I hope you understand."

"I do." She said, and for a while there was silence in the room. He still held her tightly to him, but he didn't speak. She could hardly feel him breathing.

"Let's lighten the mood in here. I'm looking forward to seeing your family again. Hopefully this time I won't have to be admitted to hospital."

"Touch wood." Sarah said with a smile. "Toby's probably going to be bored by the play."

"I'm sure I can think of something to entertain him. I'm good with children, I like to think."

"Last time I spoke to him, it was all "Jerry this, Jerry that". He's certainly taken a shine to you."

"Really?" He asked, playing with a strand of her hair. "What did he say?"

"Oh, just that you're super cool and that I'm lucky to have a boyfriend like you."

"He's right, you know." He said, a deadpan expression on his face. She headbutted his shoulder gently, and he laughed.

"You're so modest." Sarah said sarcastically.

"I like Toby. He's a sweet boy."

"He is. It's funny, I think my whole obsession with that book started because the girl in it reminded me of myself."

"Ah yes, the story. Shall we begin? Once upon a time.." He began, his English accent making the words sound grand and enticing. She laughed.

"I don't remember it word for word." Sarah said, although that was a lie. She had recited it so many times it was ingrained in her memory, but she didn't want to seem like a loser. "It's about a girl who's forced to work night and day for her stepmother, and look after her baby brother. A bit like Cinderella or something. I was feeling sorry for myself because Irene and Dad had had Toby, and I took a bit of a back seat."

"A natural reaction." He reasoned, and she bit her lip, remembering her terrible attitude towards her brother.

"I don't know, I was pretty much a massive brat for a whole year. Anyway, the story. So, the girl wishes away her brother to the Goblin King, who takes the child."

"Why?"

"I don't know, it's just what he does." Sarah shrugged, taking Jerry's hand and stroking down each finger gently. "So he takes the baby, and then the girl decided she wanted him back after all. So he gives her the choice between her dreams or the child - who's been hidden in his castle at the center of this big maze, that's the Labyrinth."

"Then what happens?" He asked, and Sarah tried to remember. Really, for a book she'd read so many times, when she tried to recount the story it was hazy. It was like there was something stopping her from remembering, like the words were blurry.

"So, the girl goes through the Labyrinth, encountering all kind of tricks and distractions to try and make her lose." She said, trying to remember the details. Something about a bog, and - and goblins used as cannonballs? Something like that.

"Like what?"

"Like holes in the ground, guards that only talk in riddles, things like that. Then, when she's nearly at the castle, the King feeds her a drugged peach to make her forget what she was doing."

"Did it work?"

"No. She broke free of the spell, and after a few more distractions, she made it to the castle. Then, the Goblin King tried to make her stay, offering her her dreams again and tempting her with offers of love and devotion, if she would only give up her brother to him." She looked over at Jerry, who was silent. He was listening with rapt attention, though he looked a little uncomfortable. "Are you alright honey?"

"Fine. Continue the story, I wish to know what happens at the end."

"Well, at the end, the girl tells him no, and the Goblin King is defeated. It's funny, I always forget how that last part goes."

"It sounds a fine story." He said lightly. "What a pity you've lost it."

"I know." Sarah said miserably. "I loved that book. I told you about the dream I had about it, right?"

"You mentioned it."

"It was so funny, it was so real. There was stuff that wasn't in the book, too. Like these creatures that helped me get through, I saw things from my bedroom and then they were in my dream. I guess it's all subliminal, right? After that dream though, things kinda got better for me. It's like it fixed me."

"That's lovely, precious. Was the Goblin King in your dream?"

"Yeah, but it's funny, when I try and remember what he looked like I just see nothing. I can't even hear his voice. I remember I had a super big crush on him though."

"Should I be jealous?" He asked, tracing patterns on her back with his fingers.

"Of a fictional character?" She laughed, poking him in the ribs and then kissing him firmly. "You're the only King I'm interested in."

"I'm glad. So, where do fairies come into it?" He asked with interest.

"I don't know." Sarah said with a frown. "I think there were fairies in the Labyrinth, but I always figured that the Goblin King was one too. Like, not your Tinkerbell type, but more like Oberon. The Goblins were all pudgy little things, he definitely wasn't like that. Well, in my head anyway. The book just said he looked human, really."

"I'm sorry I couldn't find it. I can see it's a very special story."

"Yeah." Sarah smiled softly. "I guess it's all part of growing up. Putting away childish things and all of that. I'm still trying to remember that last part. My kingdom is as great as yours.."

"Have I told you how beautiful you are today?" Jerry asked, watching her as she chewed her lip and tried to remember the forgotten words. "So beautiful."

"I'm a mess." She shrugged. "Between rehearsals, studying and seeing you, I hardly have time to shower. God, what is the last bit? My will.."

"We could shower now, if you wish." He interrupted her, burying his head in her neck and nipping the skin gently. She closed her eyes, shuddering with pleasure as his teeth caught her delicate skin.

"You're distracting me." She said breathlessly, distracted by the fact one of his hands was up her shirt, stroking the sensitive skin just below her bra. "I'm trying to remember the words."

"Fuck the words." He growled into her neck, running his tongue up to the shell of her ear. "They don't matter."

"Okay." She said, grabbing the side of his face and kissing him firmly. It didn't take much for him to drive her crazy. He rearranged her so she was straddling him, her legs locked around his back. Outside, the rain turned into thunder, and as there was a loud crash, the lights went out.

Sarah jumped, feeling an unexplained sense of panic surge through her. She hated thunderstorms, but she didn't know why.

"Are you alright?" He asked against her lips, his hand already underneath her shirt. She was trembling, and he looked at her carefully. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know." She admitted, looking behind him. "I just hate this weather."

"I can think of something far more interesting than worrying about the weather, darling." He purred in her ear, and her eyes flew shut as he gently rolled her nipple in between two fingers. "I won't be seeing you for a few days, let's make the most of our time together."

"Okay. The power's gone out though." She said, struggling to focus as his hand began teasing her through her jeans.

"It doesn't matter about power." Jerry whispered into her ear, his breath tickling the damp skin. She shuddered at the spikes of pleasure that shot straight through her. "Sarah, just relax. It's only a little thunder. I can almost guarantee than in a matter of minutes I can make you scream so loudly the thunder will be scared of _you._ "

"Big words." Sarah said, trying to bite back a moan as he unbuttoned her pants and stroked her through her underwear. "I hope you have the skills to back them up."

"You'd doubt me, Sarah?" He teased her, his voice dark and seductive. Lightening flashed, illuminating the room momentarily. Sarah could see Jerry's face, and he was staring at her as though he would devour her. He was so sexy she couldn't stand it; even his damn _eyes_ were sexy. "All the nights I've made you come, again and again, screaming my name, yet you doubt I can make you forget about a simple thunder storm? You don't believe I can do it again?"

"Show me." She said, her eyes locking with his in a challenge. "I bet you can't."

"Oh, Sarah. The odds are entirely in my favour, I assure you." He took his hands away from her, bringing one to the back of her neck. There was a distant rumble of thunder, and Sarah felt herself jump again, even though she didn't want to. ", precious. Just relax."

He kissed her properly then, no more teasing, his tongue snaking against hers. She groaned at the sensation, kissing him back fiercely. His kisses were always deliberate, as though he had planned every movement of his lips purely to drive her crazy with desire. He was firm, yet somehow distant, like he would vanish at any moment. She pressed her hand to the back of his head just to keep him there, terrified he would somehow slip away.

"Let's shower." She said when they broke apart, her chest heaving as she panted for breath. Lightening flashed, and she could see him grinning devilishly at her. He stood up, still with her legs wrapped around his waist and took her to the bathroom, his hand tangled in her hair and his lips moving against hers feverishly.

The bathroom was pitch black, and he kicked the door shut behind them and put her down in the shower, despite the fact she was fully dressed. Showering in the dark might not have been the most sensible idea she'd ever had, but she wanted to be naked with him and an empty apartment was too good an opportunity to pass up.

They tore at one another's clothes; there was a desperation about this whole thing that Sarah didn't quite understand, but at the same time Jerry's movements were so measured it was as if he was trying to remember every moment. He ran his hands lazily over her naked body, his fingers seeming to memories every curve, every swell.

"You are so beautiful, precious." He moaned as her hand found his erection and wrapped around it. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too." She said, as he reached behind her and turned on the water. It was hot, yet her blood felt even hotter. She wanted him so badly, and part of her was amazed that every single time they did this it just got better and better. He had studied her body as though preparing to take an exam, and knew every trick to make her scream his name.

He kissed her underneath the stream of boiling water, his mouth cool against hers. He pressed her into the wall, his hand covering her and working her slowly. She groaned into his mouth, tangling her fingers in his damp hair. He moved away from her lips, kissing his way down her body, his hand trailing down to guide him. When he stopped, Sarah held her breath. She'd never let him do this before, but right now it was all she could think about. She curled her fingers in his hair, pushing him closer to her.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice echoing around her.

"Yes." She said firmly, and gasped as his tongue ran over her gently, hesitantly. "Oh."

He said nothing, continuing his gentle probing. He groaned against her, and Sarah bit her lip. The sound of his pleasure drove her crazy, and the thought that he was enjoying doing this to her only made her own pleasure sharper.

He continued wordlessly, and as the water turned cold Sarah screamed as the sensations building within her crashed together. She shook with the force of her orgasm, the feeling of his tongue on her clit overwhelming her. She grabbed at the walls, but there was nothing to steady her. She gripped his shoulders, and he lapped at her until her screams turned into whimpers.

"Oh wow." She said breathlessly, turning the water off as it turned freezing. Jerry moved away from her, and she could hear him breathing close to her ear. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leant against him helplessly. "Wow."

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked her, nipping at her neck. She could feel him against her hip, hard and ready for her. He'd managed to make it to the cupboard under the sink without her noticing.

"Um, yeah." She said, almost laughing. "That was pretty damn amazing."

"You taste incredible." He groaned into her ear, and she felt herself blush in the darkness. "I've been longing to do that for longer than you know, precious."

She didn't know what to say in response to that, so she simply pressed against him harder. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He entered her, and she gasped. The darkness took away her sight, and allowed her to solely focus on the sensations he was making her feel.

He moved slowly, his hips rolling against hers. Every inch of him was inside her, and she groaned. He was moving painfully slowly, and it felt as though he was torturing her. She could feel pleasure coiling in her, and she scratched at his back as it consumed her.

"Faster." She gasped, needing something more. He obliged, his hips slamming into her with a force that astounded her. A gutteral cry escaped her lips, her fingers digging into the skin of his shoulders just so she didn't collapse against him.

"Say my name." He panted into her ear, as he too groaned in pleasure.

"Jerry.." She moaned, and in the pitch black it sounded as though Jerry tutted.

"No." He said, his voice strangled as the rhythm of his hips became frantic. He was almost there, she could tell. She couldn't focus, everything was fuzzy, she was almost there.. "My real name. Say it, Sarah."

"Jareth!" She screamed as she came, and after a few seconds, Jerry's hips stilled. She clung onto him, leaning against his shoulder and smiling.

"I love you, precious." He murmured, nuzzling her fondly. "So much. Remember that."

"Of course I will." She stroked his back, and frowned. There was something there. She moved her head, wondering if it was her own hair. "Um, Jerry?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you wearing a wig?" She asked, frowning. She moved her fingers; there was definitely long hair trailing down his back, stuck to his skin.

"What?" He asked lazily, still clinging to her. "No."

"I swear, it feels like you have long hair." He almost dropped her, and she screamed. "Fuck! Put me down!"

"I'm sorry, I slipped." He said smoothly, doing as she asked. Sarah reached out a hand to touch him, but he wasn't there. "I'm sure it was just some of your hair. There's enough of the stuff. I need to go, I promised Alice I'd help her stock take tonight."

"You're going already?" Sarah asked, seeing the door open. Jerry had pulled his clothes on, despite the fact he must have been soaking wet. She stood there, cold and naked, and watched as he opened the door. The rest of the apartment was still dark, but she could see his sillohette. "You can't go out in a storm."

"It's fine, I'll get a cab. I'll call you tomorrow, enjoy rehearsals."

Sarah frowned as she heard the front door slam. Something was wrong with him, and yet again she was left feeling totally confused.

* * *

Jareth took himself straight to his own apartment. His glamour had failed, at the worst possible moment. Walking out on Sarah like that looked totally bizarre, and he would struggle to explain it. Not that he would have to.

When she had told him about the Labyrinth, he had decided that he needed to tell her who he truly was. Too much time had been wasted, and to let anymore pass would be pointless; the longer the relationship, the bigger the impact of the deceit would be. He was trying to kid himself that three months was nothing, that she would forgive a little lie.

A little lie. _For fuck's sake,_ he thought angrily, _you're not lying about your age. You're lying about your species._

He wanted that last night with her, to try and prove to her how much he loved her, how much he needed her. He had planned to make love to her all night, to talk to her about little things, to soak up as much of her as he could. Their relationship had been the best time of his life; for once, it didn't matter that he was a king, or Fae, or rich, or handsome. It mattered that he was Jareth, and she was Sarah.

Jerry. He hadn't been Jareth, not really. He'd been Jerry.

Jerry who worked in a bar, Jerry who watched terrible soap operas at two in the afternoon, Jerry who was dating Sarah.

He needed to talk to Hoggle. Not just about this, but about the book. It was all well and good telling Sarah who he was, but he couldn't just ignore the fact that some magical book had predicted his death.

"Hoggle?" He stood by the mirror and called for the dwarf. He waited a moment, but there was no response. He called again, but there was nothing. Something felt strange; he waved a hand over the mirror, and stepped back when he realised what was wrong.

It was an ordinary mirror.

The magical connection had been sealed shut, and Jareth realised in horror that he was essentially stuck Above with no contact or information about what was going on.

Shit.

After punching a wall (and discovering that punching a wall was even more painful than punching a person) in frustration, Jareth sank down on the floor. Even though he had been banished for seven years, this was the first time he had truly felt it's consequences - the knowledge that the Underground had always been there, even though he wasn't allowed in it, had been a security blanket. Now, there was nothing. He was truly cut off.

He hoped Hoggle was alright; the dwarf could be an irritant at times, but the thought of him being harmed was one that uneased him. Rinat was an unpredictable ruler, and Jareth wondered if Hoggle had finally been caught.

He contemplated trying to contact his father for a moment, and then he thought better of it. What was the use in attracting attention to himself? The book had unnerved him, and he wanted to keep a low profile. There was no point in causing a fuss, drawing attention to his life up here - and Sarah.

Sarah was being targeted, and he didn't understand why. Rinat had seen her and was oblivious to the fact that she was the Labyrinth's champion - and Alice had had no idea either. There was no magical imprint on her, no telling of the victory she had achieved. Jareth wanted to keep it that way, lest she become a target for the Fae as they desperately tried to keep the Labyrinth under control.

His love for Sarah was not only an easily exploitable weakness on his part, but it gave her power over him. Her words all those years ago still echoed in his head - how the tables had turned. She held all the power in her hands, and he had no desire to rule her. That was why he couldn't tell her - she would get the wrong idea.

He paced around his apartment for a while, trying to make sense of his racing thoughts. He was starting to think his whole plan was ill-concieved - maybe he should have approached Sarah in honesty. If he had told her who he really was, would that have been so bad? Her memories were still there, under the surface, so what would the harm have been in dislodging them?

That would never have worked - trying to reverse the Council's decision to wipe her memories would have been looked upon as interfering, and interfering with mortals was punished severely. Knowledge of the Labyrinth wasn't something humans were supposed to have. Toby remembered something, clearly, but as he wasn't in the Labyrinth itself Jareth wasn't concerned.

He was overthinking; the link between him and the Underground was bound to be closed sooner or later. This was nothing more than bad timing.

Still, all this business with the books was most strange indeed. If The Labyrinth wasn't a real book, how had Sarah come to have it in her possession all those years ago? He had watched her read it, curious about this book that seemed to contain so many secrets, but it had never occurred to him that there was only one copy of such a script.

Then that green book - it not only spoke to him, but allowed Sarah to read it. Was it trying to expose him to her? She knew his real name was Jareth, an unusual name, and combined with all the iron poisining and the dreams, was the book trying to lead her to working out who he was?

His head hurt.

* * *

 **A/N: I was really struggling to write this, so when in doubt add some hot shower sex into your work. (Note: doesn't work if you're writing anything other than fanfiction. Don't do it in your dissertation)**

 **Not sure when the next update will be as I'm feeling a bit useless and like my writing just isn't working, so it could be a few days. Hopefully not longer than that.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

The glamour wouldn't go back on. Jareth tried for hours, closing his eyes and trying to focus. The power of glamour was a fundamental part of being a Fae, and now that was gone too. He had nothing left.

More importantly, it would be hard to break the news to Sarah gently if she was staring at his sparkly eyes and bouffant hair. He wanted to tell her gently, in his own way. This was not ideal.

"What are you going to do?" Alice asked, frowning at him. He was chain smoking, his hands shaking. He shrugged, not speaking. "You have to talk to me."

"What can I do? I was going to tell her, but I can't exactly turn up looking like this, can I?" He said, exahling a plume of smoke.

"Cut your hair." Alice shrugged. "Simple."

"What?" Jareth asked, with a raised eyebrow. His cousin sighed in frustration; really, how had this idiot once been the second most powerful man in the Underground?

"Cut your hair, obviously. Bit of make up on the markings, maybe a hat, hey presto, you're disguised. If you're so fussed about keeping up appearances, you're going to have to have the chop I'm afraid." Alice said with a gleeful smile, miming scissors with her fingers.

"But my hair.." He protested weakly, running his fingers through the long strands.

"Jareth, what is more important? Sarah or your hair?" Alice sighed impatiently, mentally trying to work out what haircut would suit him best.

"She's going to leave me as soon as she finds out anyway." He said sullenly, his fingers exploring the thick hair near his roots, as though he was afraid Alice would cut it off right now. "What's the use of losing everything I love?"

"You're so vain. So, you can't contact the Underground at all?" Alice asked, trying to work out the extent of the magical block.

"No. The mirror's completely sealed, and my power isn't nearly strong enough to summon anyone. I'm utterly fucked." He said, banging his fist down on the counter.

"Shit." Alice said; she had been isolated for almost four hundred years, but Jareth had clung onto that last link with the Underground. To lose it now, with everything happening with Sarah, was just plain bad luck.

"My sentiments exactly." He stubbed out his cigarette, biting his lip. He felt increasing amounts of pain, and he was growing concerned that this really was the end of the Labyrinth. He had no idea what would happen when it finally went, but he could hazard a guess that it wouldn't be good.

"What are you going to do?" Alice asked, looking at her cousin nervously. "Have you tried calling for your father?"

"Yes." Jareth begrudgingly admitted, scuffing his foot aimlessly on the floor. "There's no reply. Can you contact anyone at all? Your mother, maybe?"

"No. I was sealed off years ago, I have no idea how I would even go about it." Alice said, chewing on her thumb as she tried to think of a solution.

"Your contact, what about them?" Jareth asked, as though it was a sudden flash of genius. Alice shook her head firmly.

"Are you kidding? You know that he'd get in a world of trouble if they knew he was giving me information!"

"Well, if it helps me get my throne back maybe I could help him!" Jareth tried to reason, and Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you get your throne back?" She asked carefully; there had been no talk of him regaining political power, only his full magic and connection to the Underground.

"I don't know. I suppose if the Labyrinth is dying, they might relent and realize that I need to be on the throne. Or, if I get close enough to Rinat, maybe I could just strangle him and make the whole process easier."

"That's one way of looking at it. Or, you could just live your life. The Labyrinth is probably just sick of you leeching off of it. Maybe now it can regenerate without you. Don't just assume the worst. Maybe this is the push you needed."

"What, so now I can be dumped by the woman I love more than anything in the world and be stuck Above forever, with no hope of ever returning to my land, and in addition have to wear bloody makeup for the rest of my life?"

"Jareth, let's be serious. You've always worn makeup. Nobody has lips that glossy naturally." Alice said, laughing at his outraged expression. She had never been afraid to poke fun at him, even when they were children and he was the pompous little prince.

"Oh, I'm glad you said you're being serious, I was confused for a minute and thought you were being an unhelpful bitch." He said sarcastically. He fumbled in his trouser pockets for a cigarette and realised he'd run out. "Oh this is fucking perfect!"

"Temper temper, cousin." She laughed. "This whole situation is easily solvable. Just let me cut your hair into the style you have it Above. Then you are under no pressure to tell Sarah until you know exactly what's going on."

"What if I have lost my magic?" He said quietly. "Maybe then I don't have to tell her at all. I'll just be a normal man."

"You aren't a normal man. However much you wish it, you are a Fae. You love her. She loves you. I've seen the way she looks at you; she's crazy about you. It's been three months, she must know you're a bit of a prick by now. She's stuck around so far. Maybe you're just assuming she'll leave you."

"I don't deserve her." He said, and Alice was shocked to see he had tears in his eyes. "I need her so much, I'm terrified she's going to leave me. Yet if I lie to her, I'm only keeping her with me using tricks. How can I ever know if she loves me or who I'm just pretending to be?"

"You need to let her make that choice. Give it a few days, let her open her play and all that, then talk to her. You might be surprised."

"I don't know." He said. "If she doesn't even remember me, she'll be more scared. She won't know what's a lie and what's the truth, she'll have no memories of her own to help."

"I don't know what you should do." Alice said, finally admitting defeat. Her own love life had been complicated in the past, but nothing like this. She knew that lying to Sarah was a terrible idea, but his intentions were good. "I'm terrible at advice."

"I wish my mother was here." Jareth said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the kitchen counter behind him. "She'd know what to do. For a start, she would never have let Father and the Council turf me out."

"I know." Alice said soothingly, watching him carefully.

"And she would never have let you be banished either." Jareth told his cousin, who laughed.

"Unlike my mother, who practically packed my bags for me." Alice said, recalling that her own banishment had caused little impact or feelings of regret amongst the Fae.

"Do you think she would have liked Sarah?" Jareth asked, trying to remember his mother's face. She had been beautiful, her face softer than most Fae's. She had blonde hair just like his, that she let grow long until it almost touched the floor. Her markings had been like his.

"Yes. Sarah's sweet, and kind. Aunt Rowan was too." Alice said, thinking fondly of her Aunt. It had been hundreds of years since she had died, perhaps a thousand. Losing track of time was easy up here.

"I miss her. Father changed after she died, everything changed." Jareth said, looking at his feet. His voice was small, and he felt like a child again.

"It really wasn't your fault, you know."

"As you keep saying."

"I'll say it until you believe me. The Labyrinth is full of traps, your father should never have allowed her in there. You were away, it had no governance.."

"Alice, must we talk about this? It's bad enough I'm going to have to cut my hair, let's leave painful memories alone shall we?"

"Fine. So, let's make a plan." Alice said firmly, trying to steer the conversation in a productive direction.

"Must we?" He sighed.

"Yes."

"Fine. I tell Sarah who I am, what I did and how I feel, then she rejects me and I crawl into a hole and die. A splendid plan, yes?" He said witheringly, grabbing at his hair in frustration.

"Have a bit of positivity." Alice urged him, and he laughed coldly.

"That's a little tricky when, even if by some miracle Sarah doesn't leave me, I'm so bloody weak I could be poisoned by touching a damn tap." He said, his voice raising. He was frustrated, verging on angry, and he was barely restraining his fury. He hated feeling weak, hated feeling like he had no control, and right now he was so weak he was concerned he would actually die - and he had no idea what would happen then.

"Calm down."

"I don't want to calm down! I've had enough of being calm. I'm sick of being calm, I'm sick of having no control. I've made mistake after mistake and I don't know what to do, alright? There, I've said it. I've no bloody clue what I'm supposed to do Alice!"

"It will be alright." She said softly, and she edged towards him. She hesitantly hugged him; family affection wasn't common among the Fae, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever hugged him at all. He patted her back awkwardly.

"Thank you for being my family." He said quietly, and she nodded. "If I die, you can have my apartment and my record collection."

"Thanks. But you're not going anywhere."

* * *

Sarah sat on her bed, legs crossed and wearing ratty old sweatpants, staring into space. The lights were still out, and she had no inclination to try and find candles. She liked the darkness, for once. It let her think.

Something was wrong, and it was like she was staring right at it - but she couldn't focus on it. It was there, glaringly obvious, but she couldn't name it. She wondered what had made him run; it was when she had mentioned the hair. It must have been her hair; after all, nobody's hair could grow ten inches in the blink of an eye.

"Sar? You in? If you're naked, please tell me."

"I'm here. Have you got a torch?"

"Yeah, some random guy on the street gave me one. Is Jerry here?"

"No, he's gone."

"Oh, I thought you two would have taken full advantage of the empty apartment and lack of lighting. You're not knocked up are you? That's not why he's gone?"

"No, that's not why he's gone." Sarah called out into the darkness irritably. "Not pregnant. He was here for a while, but he left pretty suddenly."

"He did? Why?"

"I don't know, it was weird. Maybe the whole pregnancy scare thing freaked him out." Sarah said, wondering if despite his support earlier the whole thing had terrified him. It was a big scare to have so early on in the relationship, after all. But then, that didn't make sense - he had even told her he wanted to have children with her.

"What were you doing before he left?" Nikki asked, coming into the room and sitting on the bed. There was the smallest amount of light coming in from outside, just enough so Sarah could see her friend's outline, but nothing more.

"Um, we were taking a shower."

"A sexy shower?"

"In the sense that we were having sex in the shower, yes." Sarah said dryly. "It was so weird though, we finished and I could feel my hair on his back, I didn't realise it was mine at first. That's when he totally freaked and bailed on me. He didn't even say goodbye, not really."

"It can't have been that." Nikki said, folding her arms. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"You're telling me. I swear, sometimes he's so strange. He's a normal guy, aside from the fact he talks using weird English words I'm not sure are real, but he's weirdly..twitchy."

"Maybe he's a criminal on the run. A bank robber, maybe. Something high class and intricate. Maybe he's an insider trader on the lamb."

"I doubt that very much." Sarah said, rolling her eyes. "For a start, why would a bank robber be working in a dive bar?"

"He might not have been a very good bank robber." Nikki reasoned. "Maybe he's married."

"He's been with me every single night for the past three months. You don't think maybe his wife would be suspicious by now?"

"What if she's in England? Then she'd never know. I mean, the guy's nearly forty and he's supposedly never been married. I bet you, he's married with three children. Jerry Jr, Jerrica and Jeremy."

"Hilarious."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure it's nothing sinister - maybe he's just a commitment phobe and he's freaking out because he actually loves you worth a damn."

"I don't know." Sarah sighed dramatically, flopping back on her pillows. "I just wish I knew what was bothering him. He keeps so much inside, sometimes I wonder if he even loves me at all."

"No you don't." Nikki told her. "You know he loves you. He might have his douchey moments, but the guy's pretty much the perfect gentlemen. He thinks of your feelings, he doesn't pressure you into doing sex stuff, hell, he knows you don't like being gone down on-"

"He did it tonight." Sarah said as her face flushed scarlet in the darkness, whilst wishing she hadn't told Nikki every single detail of her sex life.

"And?"

"It was pretty fantastic."

"Excellent. Anyway, he brings you flowers, he walks you home, he always calls when he says he will. All the stuff I said is just speculation; as far as I can see, that Jerry is pretty much perfect. I wish I had a man like that."

"Be careful what you wish for." Sarah said absentmindedly. "Words have power."

"Huh?" Nikki asked, as there was a crash of thunder outside. "Guess the storm's starting up again."

"Words have power." Sarah repeated to herself. "My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great. You..you have no power over me!"

"What are you talking about?" Nikki asked, used to Sarah babbling to herself every now and again.

"Oh, it's just these words I was trying to remember from this book I used to love. Nothing much."

"Great. Are you ready for the play? Are you rehearsing all day tomorrow?"

"Yup, so I'll be home late." Sarah told her roommate. "Don't wait up."

"Is Jerry coming over tomorrow?" Nikki asked, and Sarah shook her head before realizing they were sitting in darkness.

"No, I'll see him after opening night. I want to focus, and he's incredibly distracting." Sarah said with a smile, thinking of how she could hardly keep his hands off him whenever he was around.

"So when you see him again, just talk to him. He seems like the kind of guy you could tell all your worries, and he'd listen and then tell you things are all going to be okay in that delicious accent of his."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a crush on my boyfriend."

"No! But he's sexy as hell, I'll admit it."

"Well, if you're done, I'd like to go to sleep now."

"Alright. Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Nikki said cheerily, turning on her torch and lighting the way out of Sarah's room.

Sarah sighed. The conversation with Nikki had been no help at all. She shook her head; she was overthinking things. She crawled under her covers, hoping that the storm outside would lull her to sleep. She just wanted to sleep.

To sleep, perchance to dream.

* * *

 _As the Fae grew from children to men, a new group emerged - the Seers. They could see all that had been, all that would ever be. Their job was to write their visions down, to document the prophecies. These prophecies were not for the eyes of the lesser Fae; such predictions could do untold damage if released._

 _They were unable to be changed, written within the fabric of time, finite and fixed._

 _It was here that Sarah's fate had been decided; she was the saviour of the Labyrinth, a powerful being that was thousands of years away from creation, a girl who would be born thousands of years after that. A babe that would not exist until the humans could fly metal birds in the sky and speak across oceans would be the one to stop the crumbling of a race so powerful - yet they could not protect themselves._

 _The Goblin King would fall in love with her, for it was written in his prophecy. His soulmate, intertwined by fate, would be the one to undo him - draining his power away until he is weakened so severely he will hover between the plains of life and death._

 _Sarah stood alone, seemingly suspended in thin air above stars._

 _"Where am I?" She called out into the darkness._

 _"You're here, Sarah. Exactly where you are supposed to be."_

 _"It's you. You're the Goblin King."_

 _"Jareth, please, precious."_

 _"Why do you look like Jerry?"_

 _"Have you not worked it out yet, darling? I am Jerry. I am Jareth, I am the Goblin King."_

 _"What do you want with me?" She asked, her voice trembling. She cleared her throat; she would not show fear. She would not be afraid._

 _Fear me.._

 _"I want you, darling."_

 _"I don't know you."_

 _"I know you. I want you for myself, for my Queen."_

 _Love me.._

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because it's fate. The Seers told you, didn't they darling?" Jareth said lightly, appraising her with a smile._

 _"This is a dream."_

 _"Yes, it's just a dream. You'll wake and remember nothing. Just as you remember nothing of our first meeting."_

 _"I don't understand." She said. "Tell me what's going on, I need to understand."_

 _"You will, darling. When the time is right, you will understand everything." Jareth said soothingly, reaching out a hand to touch her cheek. She let him, feeling the ice cold skin of his palm against her warm flesh. "You're even more beautiful in dreams, precious. I would give my life just for one moment with you."_

 _And I will be your slave.._

 _Then, Jareth vanished, and turned into someone Sarah recognised as the doctor from the hospital. He looked at her through narrowed eyes._

 _Then he laughed, a haunting, hysterical laugh that made her blood run cold._

Sarah sat up in bed, panting and covered in sweat. She tried to remember her dream, but there was nothing.

She sighed, and closed her eyes, lying back down and drifting off to sleep.

She didn't see the figure watching her from the darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews.  
**

 **I hope this chapter made a bit of sense, I'm still feeling really sick and I've just been writing nonsense to distract myself from my own self pity.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

"You coming Sarah?" Her cast mate, Dan, asked her. He was playing Oberon, her King, and was a nice guy. She got the feeling he was trying to hit on her, which made her uncomfortable, but he wasn't so forward as to make her hate him.

"I just need to finish sewing my skirt." Sarah said, holding a cotton thread between her teeth. The costume budget was incredibly small, and as she used to alter all her own costumes as a kid anyway, she had volunteered to look after her own stuff. "Leave the keys, I'll lock up."

"Alright then. Don't stay too late." He said with a laugh; Sarah had a reputation for sleeping in theaters in the run up to shows.

"I won't." She promised, holding the flowing pink skirt up to her face to look at it more closely. It was embroidered in tiny flowers, and was a truly beautiful piece of costume. She wished she'd had such grand things when she was a teenager.

The door closed, and Sarah carried on sewing. She looked up at the clock; it was almost midnight. The dress rehearsal had run late, and then there had been a bunch of technical problems because of yet another storm. Luckily the power was back on, but it had been a pain in the ass.

Putting down the skirt, she thought about going home. There was more to do, but she could always come in tomorrow before class. She opened the dressing room door, and went out into the hallway. There was a phone there, and she picked it up and dialed Jerry's number. He wasn't working that night, and she missed him.

It had only been two days since she had last seen him, but they hadn't even had a chance to talk to each other on the phone. After the way things had been left the last time, Sarah felt a little uneasy. She missed him terribly, and in the back of her mind she was worried he was losing interest in here.

"Hello?" His familiar voice came down the line.

"Hey you." She said, as she twirled the grubby looking cord round her finger. "You okay?"

"All the better for hearing from you, beautiful. How are things going?"

"Good. I'm still at the theater. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out maybe. I know it's late, but I miss you." Sarah told him, feeling like a total sap. She had thought of him for the whole day, and she ached for him. Just being around him was enough; he made her happier than she thought possible.

"Ah, yes. I need to talk to you Sarah." He said, his voice sounding serious. Sarah felt her heart rate double, those words "need to talk" traditionally the kiss of death for any relationship.

"You do?" She asked nervously, biting her lip. "What about?"

"I just need to talk to you." He said, not giving anything away. Sarah took a deep breath, not wanting to beat around the bush anymore.

"Are you breaking up with me?" She asked, biting the bullet. She tried to sound as though she didn't really care, but her voice came out fragile and she felt as if she might burst into tears.

"No!" He said quickly, as though shocked she would suggest such a thing. "No. It's something rather delicate, I need to see you. Can you come over to my place?"

"Uh, yeah. I'll be about twenty minutes, is that okay? I just need to finish up here." Sarah said, wondering how quickly she could clear up, lock up and get to his. She was torn between wanting to drag it out, and dropping everything and rushing to him.

"Fine. Sarah?" He asked hesitantly. Something was definitely wrong; his usual cockiness was gone, he sounded as though he was scared. Her heart beat even faster; she didn't like the uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen next.

"Yeah?" She asked tentatively, worried that he was just about to say whatever it was he had to say right then.

"I love you, precious. So very much." He told her tenderly, his voice so soft and so tender she thought she might cry.

"You're freaking me out Jerry." She said anxiously, biting on her thumb nail. She heard him sigh over the phone, and she wondered if he thought she was being overdramatic.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to. I just need you to know that I love you." He told her sincerely.

"I love you too baby. I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye."

"Goodbye, Sarah."

She hung up the phone and leaned against the wall, trying to steady her nerves. Part of her didn't want to go to his apartment at all; if she stayed here, she could pretend everything was fine for just a little longer.

As she walked back to the dressing room to grab her stuff, she heard an almighty crash come from the auditorium. She frowned; someone must have not put the set up properly. She walked through to investigate, stepping on to the stage.

The spot light was on.

"Who's there?" She called out, hoping it was just the other cast members fooling around. "Dan, is that you?"

She heard giggling coming from behind her, and she turned around to see where it was coming from. There was nobody there, just the set, and she took a deep breath to try and calm herself.

"Great prank." She called out, crossing her arms. "Freak out Sarah. Well done!"

"I tolds you it was 'er!" A voice came from behind her, and she span round yet again.

"Who's there?!" She shouted, balling her hands into fists as though she'd have to punch her unknown assailant any second.

"Shuddup idiot, Ratty saids not to let her knows we're here!" A reedy voice said, screeching loudly.

"You're talking louder than me!" Another voice hissed, still obnoxiously loudly. Sarah frowned; this whole thing was bizarre. The voices didn't sound like anyone she knew, and the prank didn't even make sense. Ratty?

"What is going on?!" Sarah shouted. She looked out into the audtiorium, but the light blinded her. She could see shadows in the seats, and she shielded her eyes to try and make out their shape. "Come out!"

She screamed as something brushed against her leg, and as she looked down she saw a fat little creature, all buck teeth and wrinkled brown skin, grinning up at her.

"You look different!" It said in a funny little voice, and she frowned. She had to be dreaming.

"What do you mean?" She asked, blinking down at the strange thing clamped to her leg.

"Last time you were smaller. More pink."

"Last time?" Sarah asked hesitantly. "What do you mean last time?"

"When you were in the Labyrinth!" The goblin told her. "No baby? I like babies!"

"That was a dream!" Sarah said in disbelief. She had to be asleep; maybe all that sewing had knocked her out. "Goblins aren't real!"

The little goblin grabbed her ankle, pinching it hard.

"Hey!" She said, shaking it off her foot. It fell to the floor, giggling manically.

"Not dreamin'. Now come on, we gotta go!" The creature got up, and tugged at her pant leg. She tried to shake it off, and to her horror another one joined in on her other leg.

"Go where?!" Sarah asked indignantly. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Kingy said you gots to. We've come to get ya." The new thing on her other leg told her sincerely.

"Well your Kingy can come and get me himself, I want to have a word with him." Sarah said determindely; if this whole thing was real, she wanted to have a word with their boss. The Goblin King; she couldn't even remember what he looked like. That whole thing had just been a dream, right? A hazy dream at that, all these years later. Sure, she'd had the odd dream about it since, but none had seemed this real.

"Hello, Sarah." A voice called out from across the auditorium. It sounded different to how it had in her dreams; the Goblin King and Jerry had become blurred together in her mind. "You're demanding my presence?"

"Turn the light off." She called out. "I want to talk to you, I want to be able to see you."

The spotlight duly went dark, and Sarah turned around to see a tall man behind her. He was dressed all in leather, with square shoulders and tight trousers. His hair was dark, where she had always pictured it blonde, and his face was hard.

"My, aren't you a lovely thing?" He reached out and touched her chin, and she wrenched her head away.

"Don't touch me!" She spat. His hands were bare, his skin ice cold; she remembered that the Goblin King had always worn gloves. "This is a dream."

"Sadly not, my dear. You will find it is quite real. I have come to take you back to the Labyrinth; there is some unfinished business."

"I'm not going!" Sarah said, stomping her foot on the ground to emphasize her point. The strange man looked at her in amusement, folding his arms and looking at her up and down.

"I'm awfully afraid you don't have much choice in the matter."

"You can't just take me! Nobody's made a wish!" Sarah protested, and the King shrugged indifferently. She felt her stomach clench with fear; if the Labyrinth hadn't just been a dream, she was in real danger right now.

"The Labyrinth wishes to see you." He told her firmly. He advanced towards her, leering. He made her feel uncomfortable; this wasn't the Goblin King of her dreams. He didn't sound the same, it didn't feel the same to be around him. "I am merely here to collect you."

"The Labyrinth can go to hell!" Sarah shouted, shoving him back from her. He looked at her coldly, angry that she would dare to strike him.

"Come now. Enough protestations." The strange man touched her shoulder, and before Sarah could blink the theater was gone. Instead, she was looking out over the Labyrinth. The sky was so dark it was almost black, though there was still light. She could see that various parts of the Labyrinth were smoking, the leaves dead.

"What happened here?" She blinked; it had never been like this in the book, it had always been described as green.

"You tell me." He said indifferently, looking her up and down. "You seem to be the one with all the power, girl."

"Huh? I have no idea what's going on, what does any of this have to do with me?"

"This all began when you arrived the last time. Quite the trail of destruction was left in your wake. I believe you know the way. Thirteen hours, and all that."

"Thirteen hours? There's nothing for me to get back!" Sarah said, not understanding what was happening. "Why do I have to run the Labyrinth at all?"

"It is in the prophecy."

"What prophecy?" Sarah asked, looking out at the vast maze that stretched out before her. Birds circled in the sky, crowing loudly. It felt like a dark place, and she felt fear grip her. This couldn't be real.

"The prophecy of the Underground. The Labyrinth has been out of control since your visit, and I believe you are the one to solve the problem."

"How?" She asked incredulously. "I don't even know what's going on!"

"I'll leave you to work it out. Cheerio."

Then, he was gone.

* * *

Jareth looked at the clock; Sarah had said she would be there in twenty minutes - an hour ago. He paced up and down, wondering why she was taking so long. Maybe she was putting off coming because she was worried about the conversation they would have.

He wore his hair slicked back, the long strands tied back in a ponytail. He had refused to let Alice cut his hair, worrying that it would never grow back. He might have been vain, but at least he admitted to it.

Another half hour passed, and Jareth was getting worried. Sarah was punctual to a fault; being this late was totally out of character for her. It was almost one thirty in the morning. Maybe she had chickened out and gone home. He picked up his telephone, and dialed her number.

"Hello?" Nikki answered the phone, and Jareth could immediately tell she was drunk.

"Hello, Nikki. It's Jerry."

"Hey. Sarah's not here."

"She's not?"

"No, she was at rehearsals. I figured she was at your place."

"She's supposed to be, but she hasn't arrived."

"Oh. I'm sure she's just fallen asleep or something. She's done that before." Nikki told him, and he could hear loud music in the background. He was irritated already, and this phone call was only serving to annoy him.

"Perhaps. If she comes home, could you please ask her to give me a call?" He asked her, sounding a little stern.

"Sure, I'll tell her." Nikki replied quietly.

"Thank you. Goodbye." He said curtly, not waiting for Nikki to return the sentiment.

Jareth replaced the phone on the receiver, and kneaded his forehead. Something was wrong, he could feel it. Pain racked his body, he felt weaker than ever. His head pounded, and his heart was racing. He needed to find Sarah, he needed to tell her the truth before it was too late.

He felt too weak to use magic to transport himself to the theater, and instead made the fifteen minute walk. It was raining, which enraged him further; by the time he reached the theater, he was cold and miserable. There were lights on in the lobby, and he tested the door. It was unlocked.

"Sarah?" He called out, entering the building. He let himself backstage, walking through the corridor where the dressing rooms were located. He opened each door, finding the rooms empty. The last room still had the light on, and when he opened the door he could see all of Sarah's belongings there - her purse, her costume, her jacket. She was here.

He walked onto the stage, finding the auditorium in darkness.

"Sarah?" He called out. "Are you here?"

"It's old Kingy!" He heard a voice say, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Who's there?" He called out, wishing it wasn't so damn dark in here.

"Yer Majesty!" There was a tugging at his trouser leg, and Jareth looked down. Suddenly, the lights came up and he could see a Goblin who served as one of his guards standing beside him.

"What in hell's name are you doing here?" Jareth asked, eyebrow raised. This Goblin was familiar to him, and was considerably less stupid than some of the other cretins that had once been his subjects. His name was Rorg.

"We came with Rinat." Rorg told him.

"Shouldn't you be calling _him_ 'Your Majesty', Rorg? Where is Sarah?" Jareth asked frantically; if Rinat had been here, he was certainly the reason for Sarah's disappearance. The thought of that fool touching his soulmate sickened him; any intentions he had would not be honorable.

"He took her." Rorg confirmed hesitantly, eyeing the former King warily; he was no stranger to his temper.

"What?!" Jareth roared, his blood running cold. "Why?"

"He thinks she can fix all the problems with the Labyrinth."

"He's going to kill her!" Jareth said in a panic. "Take me back to the Goblin City with you, I need to see your King immediately."

"We can't take you. He's only given us enough magic to take ourselves back." The Goblin said apologetically, and Jareth groaned in frustration. Time was running out; he needed to get to Sarah before Rinat did something terrible.

"Why aren't you using portals?" Jareth asked, frowning in confusion. "Mirrors, drains, the usual ways. Why use Fae magic?"

"They aren't working anymore, yer Majesty. They haven't been working for weeks."

"I thought that was just my mirror." Jareth said. "Where is Sarah? Did he hurt her?"

"She'll be in the Labyrinth by now. I waited here with one other Goblin, I knew you'd come." Rorg told him; this Goblin had always been more intelligent than the rest.

"You remember Sarah?" Jareth asked, although when he said it out loud it sounded ridiculous. She had turned the Kingdom upside down, it wasn't as though she had gone quietly through the Labyrinth.

"Of course. How could we forget her? You know her? One of the others said that they've seen her with you, I hoped that it was true." The Goblin asked; as far as the creature knew,

"She's my-" Jareth almost said 'girlfriend' before stopping himself. It was a vast understatement; she was his _everything_. "She is my partner."

"Rinat never mentioned that."

"He doesn't know who Sarah truly is; she never met any of the Council. I need to get Underground, I can't let her run when the Labyrinth is in turmoil." Jareth said, his fingernails digging into his palm. "Wait, what do you mean one of the Goblins saw me? Have you been watching me?"

"Rinat asked us to." Rorg said apolgetically. "We never told him about Sarah. We like her, and we don't like him."

"Too right!" Several voices echoed through the auditorium.

"I need to get to her! I need to protect her!"

"She's a brave girl, she can protect herself. She defeated all of us."

"This is more serious; Rinat will do anything to see her lose. I'm sure he thinks if she runs again and is defeated, it will cancel out her previous victory and order will be restored. I need to see him!"

"I can't help you Sire."

"Ugh! What is Rinat doing interfering with humans, it is forbidden!" Jareth shouted, pacing up and down the stage. "He dares to touch Sarah, my Sarah! I will kill him!"

"There is another way." Rorg said thoughtfully. "It might not work."

"What way?" Jareth asked, frowning.

"Wish away a child." Rorg said as though it was obvious; yes, it was one way to get to the Labyrinth, but Jareth highly doubted that Rinat would just take him to Sarah.

"I don't have a child to wish away!" Jareth said irritably. "I seem to only have you idiots."

"Wish yourself away then." Rorg said, choosing to ignore the insult. "He might be fooled."

"He is a fool." Jareth said bitterly. "The magic won't work on an adult, he'll know it's me."

"Maybe he'll come anyway." Rorg said. "He hates you, I'm sure the chance to rub it in your face would be greatly appreciated."

"I suppose it's worth a go." Jareth said, taking a deep breath. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away right now!"

* * *

 **A/N: Bum bum buuuum..  
**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews. I'm still feeling awful, I'm not really sure what's wrong with me but I'm drowning in my own self pity. Completely unrelated, but any Bowie fans need to look up "Cobbler Bob" on youtube, it's the only thing that's cheered me up today.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll be back soon with a new one.**

 **Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

"I wish the Goblin King would take me away right now!"

With a crack of thunder and a shower of black glitter, Rinat appeared, smirking. He stood on the stage and appraised Jareth with an amused look on his face.

"I wondered when I'd hear from you, Jareth. Have I taken something that belongs to you?" Rinat asked innocently, arms crossed and amusement playing on his sharp features. Jareth shut his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, trying to suppress his boiling rage.

"You know you have." He said through gritted teeth. "You've met her before. You saw her at the hospital."

"I remember. I had no idea your lover was the very girl who caused so much chaos. Feisty little thing, isn't she? Maybe once she loses, I'll take her for my wife." Rinat mused, much to Jareth's fury.

"You will do no such thing!" Jareth growled, repulsed by the idea of Rinat even touching Sarah. "You will bring her back Above this instant. You have no business taking mortals who have not wished themselves away."

"What's to say she didn't?" Rinat asked carefully, eyeing his rival up and down. He was taller than Jareth, but less enigmatic. Jareth had always used his charisma as a weapon, and this awkward and bullish man was intimidated.

"She wouldn't. She's too careful with her words nowadays." Jareth said, although he half wondered if she had accidentally said the words written in The Labyrinth book. Perhaps she had found it, and mumbled the words under her breath. An accident would be all it would take.

No, he thought - that wouldn't explain how Rinat knew that Sarah was the Champion. He must have targeted her deliberately.

"I'm afraid I had no choice but to take her. She's running the Labyrinth now." Rinat told him, almost gleefully. He was enjoying this game, finally having a true hold over his enemy. He had always hated Jareth.

"What?!" Jareth said in panic. The Labyrinth was in a state, running it now would put Sarah in danger that he couldn't even comprehend. "You have to stop her."

"No." Rinat said simply, shrugging.

"No?! Does my father know about this?" Jareth demanded, although he wasn't sure if the High King would stop this debacle even if he did know.

"Not yet. I'll tell him when it's over." Rinat said. "I'm sure he will have no problem with my decision."

"Why are you doing this?" Jareth asked desperately; he was forgetting to act indifferent, but frankly he didn't care. There were more important things than keeping up appearances.

"To restore the balance. The Labyrinth has been crumbling since she defeated it, so by allowing the Labyrinth it's victory, order will return."

"Bullshit!" Jareth spat, his fists curled in rage. "One defeat will not cancel out her victory! That's not why the Labyrinth is in trouble. Honestly, this is like speaking to a child!"

"Such coarse language." Rinat tutted. "Have you become completely in-eloquent living Above, Jareth?"

"Now is not the time to discuss my eloquence, you bumbling cretin! What do you want to do, kill her?!" Jareth asked, imagining Sarah in various scenarios, all horrible and all fatal. This was not a question of her bravery, or her ability; merely an acknowledgement of the dangerous position she now found herself in. It was all his fault.

"Kill her, maim her, whatever the Labyrinth sees fit. Perhaps it will just trap her in an Oubliette until the time runs out." Rinat said easily; this was indeed the best thing that could happen, and Jareth just hoped this was the case.

"I will run for her." Jareth said firmly, not even bothering to ask. If the Labyrinth needed a sacrifice, let it be him. He had done enough with his life, and made so many mistakes. If he couldn't protect Sarah, then he would give his life in repentance.

"No. It must be the girl." Rinat said adamantly. Jareth's desperation was amusing to him; the Fae did not reveal their emotions so easily, and here his predecessor was, as easy to read as a nursery rhyme.

"Why?" Jareth demanded in frustration, his voice hard. His patience was running out; he did not take kindly to Fae interference, and kidnapping Sarah was an unforgivable act. His power may not have been strong, but he was sure that he could destroy worlds with the rage that he felt.

"It is written."

"Where?"

"The prophecy."

"The prophecy? You said you were consulting the Oracles, but they would never break the secrecy of the prophecies! They are not for our eyes!" Jareth exclaimed, astonished that they would become so desperate to solve the problem that they would dare touch the forbidden depths of knowledge.

"You would see the destruction of your Kingdom for the sake of an ancient law?" Rinat said in disbelief, and Jareth laughed triumphantly.

"So it's my Kingdom, is it? Could I possibly have that in writing?" He asked sarcastically, much to Rinat's irritation. Humour had never been his replacement's strong point.

"A slip of the tongue." Rinat said, looking bored by Jareth's antics. "If you'll excuse me, I must return Underground. Your little friend has had two hours. Perhaps I should pay her a little visit, just to give her a push in the right direction."

"No!" Jareth said, grabbing Rinat's jacket to keep him there. All jokes were gone, the thought of Rinat leaving to taunt his beloved driving him forward. "Take me with you. I need to see her, I can't leave her. Please."

"My, my. Jareth in love. I never thought I'd see the day. I assume she doesn't know who you are?" Rinat said in a light voice, prying Jareth off of his clothes and giving him a little shove backwards. Jareth stiffened, straightening himself out and remembering who he was. He was acting too human, too emotional, and it wouldn't do at all.

"Why do you assume that?"

"She was under the impression that the whole thing was a dream, and that I was the same Goblin King as the last time. The Council didn't erase her memories effectively, I must have a word. I was rather hoping for hysterics. As it is, she's marching through like a little soldier."

"She does that." Jareth said, almost smiling at the memory of her sheer determination. "Please. Please, if you won't take me back, let me see her at least."

Rinat twisted his hands, and a crystal appeared in his palm. He threw it to Jareth, who caught it gratefully. Staring down into the glass, he saw Sarah. She was walking through hedges, looking straight ahead, her mouth set in a thin line.

"What are you going to do when she reaches the castle?"

"She will not reach the castle in time. I will not do what you did and remove three hours; I'll be generous and allow her the full thirteen. It is a changed place, my friend. She needs all the time she can get."

"I am not your friend." He said, still staring into the crystal. He wondered what was going through Sarah's mind; she must be terrified. There was no Toby waiting for her in the castle, nothing to drive her on - no reason for her to be there. "You can't let her die. I'll do anything."

"You have nothing I want." Rinat shrugged, a twisted smile on his lips. He waved a hand and the crystal vanished, taking Sarah with it. "I am not going to kill the girl myself; it is up to the Labyrinth. If she is still alive when the thirteen hours are up, I will release her."

"You swear?" Jareth asked. Eleven more hours - Sarah just had to stay alive for eleven more hours. She was strong, stronger than anyone he had ever known, and he just hoped that the Labyrinth was feeling kind.

"I swear. Go home, Jareth." Rinat sneered, and Jareth shook his head. He wasn't going anywhere, not whilst this dimwit had her in his grasp.

"I can't. I need to see her, I need to see the Labyrinth."

"The Labyrinth is mine now. I was selected as the new King, and that is final. The decision of the Council is set in stone." Rinat said pompously, though he was blinking an awful lot. Jareth thought that there was nobody so insecure as a king who knew he shouldn't be on his throne.

"It will never be yours!" Jareth said, his voice hard. "Don't you understand, the reason it is dying is because I am not there! The Council chose you - I think you will find that I was chosen by the Labyrinth itself."

"A high value you place on yourself. The Labyrinth was always going to die, it is written in the-" Rinat began, before Jareth held up a hand to stop him.

"If you mention those damn prophecies one more time, I will snap your bloody neck. The prophecies they have shown you are clearly not true! How much did you pay them, what did you give them? Oracles may be higher beings than us, but they are corrupt bastards all the same!"

"You are clutching at straws. We will see what happens to your lover. I'm sure you can find another little human slut to spread her legs for you if she dies."

Jareth pulled his hand back and smacked Rinat full in the mouth. He was not as strong as he once was, but the punch landed with a satisfying crunch. Jareth's knuckles burned, but he grinned as he saw the King spit out blood.

"I could execute you for that." Rinat said bitterly, standing up. He glared at his attacker, furious that he dared strike him.

"I'm not under your jurisdiction." Jareth said triumphantly. "You have no right to execute me. Perhaps you wish to make me run the Labyrinth as punishment."

"A respectable effort." Rinat said, rubbing his jaw and healing it with a little magic. "However, no dice. I really must be going."

"If you haven't returned her to her home in eleven hours, I will call you again. I will hold you personally responsible for any harm that may come to her, and I will ensure that you suffer every agony she did." Jareth promised in a low voice, and Rinat laughed.

"I'll visit you to deliver the verdict, don't you worry about that." He told him with a twisted smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Sarah is waiting."

He vanished, and Jareth grinned. His plan had worked.

* * *

"Just keep going." Sarah told herself. "I'll wake up in a minute. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time."

The sky above her was grey, threatening rain. The path beneath her feet was dry and cracked, with gaping holes where some of the land had just crumbled away. She peered down into a hole, kneeling above it, and saw a little family of worms looking back up at her.

"'Allo!" One fat little worm said, looking up at her with a wide smile.

"Did you say hello?" She asked, blinking down at the strange scene beneath her. They were sat at a tiny table, a teapot smaller than a fingernail in the middle. There was the worm that had just spoken to her, one wearing lipstick that she assumed was his wife, and two smaller ones that must have been his children.

"No, I said 'allo! Still got hearin' problems I see!"

"Have I met you before?" She asked with a frown. There was a high pitched giggle.

"A long time ago, I suppose. Do you need any 'elp?"

"I'm trying to find my way out of the Labyrinth. To the castle, I guess."

"Well, I can 'elp you there! If you 'ead straight up, you should go right to it."

"What, just in a straight line along here?" Sarah asked skeptically. "That seems far too easy."

"If you want to go and explore like last time, be my guest." The worm told her with a laugh. "Quite a lot of trouble you caused!"

"Last time? I can't remember what happened last time." Sarah said, frowning as she tried to pin down details of that dream she had forgotten so many years ago.

"Well we can! Ooh-hoo, Jareth was in a nasty mood for a while." The worm exclaimed, shaking his head - well, his whole body really.

"Jareth?" Sarah asked, frowning. She hadn't remembered the Goblin King's name, but Jareth wasn't a usual name. She felt a strange kind of dread in her stomach.

"Course, then he got the old heave ho for that rat faced Rinat bloke. Politics goes over me 'ead a bit, not many Kings care about a family of worms. But we get the gossip, don't we Maggie?" The worm asked his wife with a chuckle.

"We certainly do! Tea, dear? Not sure we got a big enough cup for you though!" Maggie said, looking her up and down. Sarah shook her head.

"No, thank you. I better get to the castle before I run out of time." She stood up, looking straight ahead of her. It seemed like the hedges got thicker up there, and there was a suspicious looking cloud hovering above. "Well, goodbye! Thanks so much for your help."

"Ta-ra dear!" The worms called out, and Sarah stepped over their home and marched down the path.

"I can do this. I can do this." Sarah told herself, as she approached the darkness. It seemed to be a tangle of leaves, and she wished she had something to cut them down with. To her surprise, a sword appeared in her hand. "What the.."

She turned it over in her hands; it was an exquisite blade, with a golden handle. She held the handle closer to her face, trying to examine it in the dim light. It was etched with a decorative leaf pattern, and just beneath the part where the blade began, there was the letter "J".

Jareth.

This must have been the Goblin King's sword, if the worms were right about his name being Jareth. Why had it appeared to her?

She was wasting time, and began cutting at the tangled reeds that blocked her path. She moved along the darkness, cutting wildly. When she paused for breath, she could see that, behind her, the path was blocked once more. The hedges had grown back, thicker and impassable. This was her only way out, before she was trapped in the hedges.

The further she got through the mess of branches and leaves, the harder it was to cut her way through. The branches had turned to brambles, the thorns as big as her fingers. She stopped then; what would happen if one pricked her? This place was darker than it seemed on the surface, and she worried that she would die.

"You can do this!" She told herself again, and seeing a clear patch on the floor, she stepped forward.

Big mistake.

The ground fell away from underneath her, and she screamed. The sword vanished from her hands, thankfully - she didn't fancy landing on it. After what felt like falling through the air forever, Sarah fell to the floor in a heap.

She opened her eyes, and saw she was in a room. It was dark, and she couldn't see a way out.

"Shit."

"Who's there?" A voice called out, and Sarah scrabbled to her feet.

"Sarah." She said, her voice shaking. "Who are you?"

"Sarah? Is it really you?" From the shadows, a dwarf appeared. She squinted at him in the darkness.

"Hoggle!" She exclaimed, rushing forward to hug him. He patted her back awkwardly. "What are you doing in here?"

"It's a prison." He said. "It's called an Oubliette. I don't suppose ya remember last time."

"No." Sarah said. "I thought it was a dream. I'm hoping this is a dream."

"Yer awake, unfortunately. Where's Jareth?"

"Why does everyone keep talking about Jareth? Who is he?"

"He never told ya, did he?" Hoggle asked, scuffing his foot in the dirt.

"Told me what?" Sarah frowned. "Was he the Goblin King? Before that Rinat guy?"

"Yeah."

"He has the same name as my boyfriend." Sarah said. "Weird."

"Same name, same face." Hoggle said, and Sarah blinked.

"No."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to be the one to tell ya. I thought he would have done it himself by now." Hoggle said guiltily.

"This is a joke, right? Some hilarious joke?" Sarah said weakly. It was impossible; she would have noticed if her boyfriend was some magical creature, especially some baby stealing Fae creep. This was all her mind playing tricks on her.

"Sarah, this isn't a joke and this isn't a dream. What are you doin' here anyway? Did you make a wish?" Hoggle asked her, crossing his pudgy little arms suspiciously.

"No!" Sarah said indignantly. "I was just minding my own business and all these - things - Goblins I guess? They all surrounded me and some guy appeared and brought me here against my will."

"That ain't good."

"Thanks for the information, Hoggle. You know, when I remembered you, I didn't remember you being so irritating." She said, crossing her arms. Nothing made sense here, and she just wanted to go home.

"You remembered me?" He asked, sounding touched even though she'd just called him irritating.

"Yes!" She said in exasparation. "Now, how do we get out of here? There's got to be a way. I need to get to the castle."

"There's no way out. I've been in here forever." Hoggle said dramatically, sighing heavily.

"Forever?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's got to be an exaggeration."

"I don't know. You lose all track of time in these things."

"Why are you in here anyway?" Sarah asked, sitting down on the floor.

"I got caught spying."

"For who?"

"For Jareth."

"Hoggle, I need to know. Is Jerry, my boyfriend, really Jareth - the guy who took Toby away?" Sarah asked, the words sounding ridiculous. She was so sure, for all of these years, that that had just been a crazy dream. Had she really wished her baby brother away, had she really put him in such danger?

"Yes." Hoggle said simply, eyeing her warily.

"Fuck!" Sarah swore, punching a wall in anger. That lying, deceiving bastard! This was probably all his fault, some elaborate plan to lull her into a false sense of security and then drag her right back to this place. If this had all been real, why couldn't she remember it? Why hadn't she recognised him? He must have done it, he must have wiped her memory so that he could steal her away.

That was part of the story, wasn't it? The Goblin King wanted the girl, he drugged her, he tried to make her stay.

Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave - those were the words, weren't they?

"Sarah, look!" Hoggle exclaimed, and Sarah looked up.

Where she had punched the wall, there was now a gaping hole - leading to a corridor lit by candles. She moved towards it, reaching out a tentative hand to make sure it was real.

"What the hell?" She said quietly. "I didn't punch it that hard."

"You found a way out!" Hoggle said joyfully. "Come on, let's go!"

"Alright." Sarah said.

There was no time to dwell on the lies that she had been fed; she needed to get out of here before the thirteen hours were up.

* * *

 **A/N: Oooh it's all getting real now! (And no I did not mean to put that author's note in the middle of the chapter..I hate this thing, it messes up my format all the time. Anyway, fixed now)  
**


	16. Chapter 16

The corridor went on forever, twisting and turning. Sarah had no idea where they were, and she wasn't even sure if she cared. All she could think about was Jerry. No, not Jerry. Jareth. That lying, treacherous bastard.

"Hoggle." She called out to the dwarf in front of her, after what felt like a lifetime of silence. He turned around and slowed down. For someone with such small legs, he could certainly walk fast.

"Yeah?"

"Why did Jareth lie to me?" She asked him quietly, the words difficult to get out. He looked at her for a moment before replying.

"You'd have to ask him." Hoggle said uncomfortably, knowing exactly what Jareth would do to him if he said too much.

"I'm asking you." She said firmly, crossing her arms. She was determined to get her facts straight before she made up her mind - although, she was already pretty certain of exactly what she was going to do.

"'Cause he wanted to be with you. And he didn't think you'd want him if you knew who he really was." Hoggle shrugged.

"Damn right!" Sarah said firmly. "That creep thinks he can just come into my life and pretend to love me, pretend to be someone I could fall in love with."

"I ain't defendin' him, but he does love you." Hoggle said, and Sarah laughed.

"If you believe that, Hoggle, you'll believe anything." Sarah said bitterly. Tears burned in her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She needed to focus on getting the hell out of here. Then she would cry. "What's happened to the Labyrinth, anyway?"

"It's dyin'." Hoggle told her reluctantly. "Ever since you was here, it's been gettin' worse. Then when Jareth got banished-"

"He was banished?" Sarah interrupted. "Why?"

"'Cause you won. What, you think he was the Goblin King and a bartender? He ain't got the same power anymore. Tha's why he got so sick, he didn't have the strength to defend himself from all the iron in yer world."

"Oh." Sarah said softly. That explained the iron poisoning. "Sorry, carry on the story."

"He was banished 'cause you won. Nobody's supposed to win. They thought he was goin' easy on ya." Hoggle told her; he himself had been interrogated as part of the investigation, and was lucky that he had been allowed to stay. He had helped her more than anyone else.

"Was he?" Sarah asked; if all that had happened was real, she didn't think sending the Cleaners after her was going particularly easy. Or feeding her a drugged peach, or whatever else had happened in the story book.

"No. You were just too good for him." Hoggle told her, and she frowned. She had been so determined then, so headstrong. She didn't feel as brave anymore.

"You helped me, if I remember correctly." Sarah said, her memories still fuzzy and unclear to her. Everything felt vaguely familiar, but there were so many gaps that she felt confused and disorientated.

"How much do ya remember?" Hoggle asked curiously. "The Council wiped yer memory."

"The Council?" Sarah asked, frowning a the thought of a bunch of people she didn't know interfering with her mind. "Who are the Council?"

"They're a group of high up Fae. Jareth's father, the High King, Rinat the new Goblin King, then a bunch of other Kings and Princes. Jareth was on it too, once upon a time."

"And then they banished him? How long ago?" Sarah asked; maybe it had only been months ago. Maybe he was still angry about the whole thing and was trying to trick her, for revenge.

"Seven years ago, that's what Jareth says. Time works differently here."

"So where was he for all that time? Always in New York?" Sarah asked, wondering if he'd basically stalked her until she was old enough. Her mind was confused; all she had to go on was the way the Goblin King was presented in The Labyrinth book, and that wasn't particularly great.

"What makes ya think I know?" Hoggle asked, shrugging. "I got my own life, ya know Sarah."

"You _do_ know, Hoggle. You were spying for him, you told me that, so you must have been seeing him this whole time."

"I saw him enough." Hoggle admitted begrudgingly. "He didn't want to find you, not at first. He lived all over, he could never settle down, flitting from place to place, woman to woman. Then he moved to New York, and he knew you were there. It's like he could sense you or somethin'. He looked for you for a while, but he gave up."

"Is he the one who got me the job at the bar? Wait - Alice. Is she Fae too?" Sarah asked, thinking of Alice's pointed features and pixie cut hair. She had always looked like something strange, almost as if she was ethereal.

"Yeah, she's his cousin. She got banished from the Underground hundreds a' years ago, I ain't never met her, but he talked about her." Hoggle told her; he didn't make a habit of socialising with the Fae.

"Did she know who I was?" Sarah asked, wondering if the job at the bar had just been another part of the elaborate game of cat and mouse.

"I don't know." Hoggle said. "Jareth doesn't tell me everythin' ya know, he keeps himself to himself most a' the time."

"Is he the reason I'm here?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"Was the whole thing a trap? Get me to lose, so the Labyrinth can get its power back, something like that?"

"No. He wanted to live with ya like a human, nothin' about the Labyrinth. He's done with this place. He just wanted you."

"Well, I don't want him." Sarah said firmly. "When I get back Above, I am done with him."

"Don't ya love him?" Hoggle asked her hesitantly.

"I don't _know_ him." Sarah paused - she could hardly remember the Goblin King. She wondered, if he had come to her and told her who he was, how he felt - what would she do? Laugh? Fall in love with him? Why was it so painful now, knowing that he had tricked her - that was it. He had tricked her. His magical abilities made him irresistible, as all Fae were. She had read about it; he had manipulated her. Yet another game. She shook her head, as if that would get rid of her thoughts.

"Right, that's enough talking about him. We've been in this passageway for forty two minutes, we're wasting time. We need to get out."

"How do you know the exact time?" Hoggle asked her; there were no clocks here. She pulled up her shirt sleeve and showed him the watch she wore.

"I'm wearing a watch. I always wear a watch ever since I was fif-." She stopped talking, something dawning on her. "Ever since I was fifteen. Ever since I came here. Always clock watching. That's his fault, I bet."

"D'ya remember how he took your time away?" Hoggle asked.

"Did he?" Sarah frowned, trying to remember. "How much time?"

"Three hours. So, you completed it in ten hours. That made the Council even more angry, I heard." Hoggle told her, and Sarah realised _that_ was why she always always so paranoid about the time. She was worried she'd run out.

"Good." Sarah said, crossing her arms. She felt like a kid again. "Serves the jerk right. Okay, let's focus. Getting out of here is what we need to do. Are we under the castle?"

"I doubt it." Hoggle said, looking around. "I think we're just in a tunnel."

"Well, let's keep heading this way. There's got to be a way out up ahead."

* * *

After a further fifty six minutes, they finally reached an exit. Sarah tentatively opened the door, and found that it lead right out into the Labyrinth again.

"Oh no!" She said, stepping through it and letting Hoggle follow her. The sky was still grey, although this section of the Labyrinth looked a damn sight healthier than the first part. The leaves were still green, and she could see stone walls a little further along. Up ahead, there was a small building with an impossibly tiny front door.

 _Even Hoggle wouldn't fit through that_ , Sarah thought.

"Sarah, do you know where we are?" Hoggle asked breathlessly.

"How would I know where we are?" She asked through gritted teeth. "I don't remember anything about last time."

"This is the heart a' the Labyrinth. I ain't never been here before, nobody I know has. I thought it was a myth." Hoggle said in awe, and Sarah looked down at him. He was hardly blinking, his mouth a little open in awe.

"The heart?" Sarah asked, wondering why this mattered so much. "Like the middle?"

"No, like the _heart_. This is where the Labyrinth's life comes from." Hoggle told her, finally blinking.

"It's alive?" Sarah asked, looking ahead. The building didn't look like anything special; not much more than a hut, really. "I thought the Goblin King made it."

"It made itself." Hoggle shrugged. "That's why it's dyin'. Nobody knows for sure what's happenin', Rinat's been tryin' to make out like it's our fault - sayin' there's wars and such. But we ain't been warrin'."

"Why can't Rinat just fix it? He's Fae, right? Use some magic." Sarah shrugged; from her reading, she had a little knowledge of basic Fae abilities. She thought for a moment - is that why her books had vanished? Had Jareth taken them so she wouldn't realize who - what - he was?

"His magic won't work. He knows he ain't got the power to run the Labyrinth, it answers to no one. Well, almost."

"Jareth." Sarah said. "It needs Jareth, doesn't it?"

"It needs you, my dear." A voice came from behind her, and Sarah jumped. It was Rinat, smirking at her. "That's why I brought you back. The Labyrinth needs you."

"Why me?" Sarah asked, backing away from him. She wished she still had the sword so she could stab him in the leg or something and run away. He made her feel uneasy. "What have I done?"

"It seems that when you won all those years ago, you took something away with you."

"What?!" Sarah said, wide eyed. "I didn't take anything, just Toby, and I won him fair and square."

"Not the baby. You. _You_ took the Labyrinth's power away." Rinat told her accusingly, his face hard. Sarah shook her head.

"How?" She asked in a panic. "It can't have been me, I haven't felt anything! I didn't do anything!"

"That was your prize. You defeated the Goblin King, who held all the power, and unwittingly took some of his control away."

"I did?" Sarah asked. "Is that why he was banished? Is that why his magic doesn't work properly Above?"

"I see our friend Hedwig has been filling you in."

"Hoggle!" Sarah and Hoggle said in unison.

"Whatever. I was so hoping to see the look on your face when I told you. You deprived me of my little game, Hoggle. What a pity."

"My feelings are not a game!" Sarah shouted indignantly, furious. "Is this what you Fae do? You play with humans until you get bored? Tell me what to do to give the Labyrinth its power back and then let me go home. I don't want it, I don't want anything!"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to return Above." Rinat told her, that familiar twisted smile on his lips. He was what Jerry, or whoever he was, would have called a 'smug tosser'.

"What?" Sarah asked, her voice trembling. "You can't just keep me here! You kidnapped me, you bastard!"

"Oh, but I can. You were running the Labyrinth, you see, and you fell into an Oubliette. You must have fallen at a funny angle, because I found you in there with a broken neck. Humans are so very vulnerable." Rinat said, his voice sounding thoughtful. Sarah saw red.

"No!" Sarah said, kicking out wildly and hoping this Rinat guy had the same anatomy that Jareth apparently did, landing a hit straight to his crotch. He groaned, and sank to the floor.

Sarah ran forward, through the leaves - something was calling to her, and she followed the voice blindly. She paid no attention to the fact she was passing through the thick bushes as though they were made of paper, she focused only on the voice that was calling to her.

* * *

Jareth stood on the stage, grinning. Rinat had been stupid enough to prolong the conversation, not knowing that Jareth was feeding off his magic. It was all he needed, just a little boost of power strong enough to manipulate the crack that Rinat had left between the Above and the Underground.

He shut his eyes, and prayed that this would work.

When he opened them again, he was on the very outskirts of the Labyrinth. His body tingled, the joy of being Underground overwhelming him. His magic began to return to him, and he felt warm for the first time in years.

He was home.

He had limited time; he had to find Sarah before Rinat grew tired of the chase. His replacement had been lying through his teeth; Jareth knew that Rinat planned to kill Sarah, some kind of twisted sacrifice to get the Labyrinth's power back. That bollocks about coming to tell him what happened was a pathetic attempt to stop Jareth interfering.

Like that would ever happen. He would tear the Underground apart to find Sarah, he would give his own life to make sure she made it out of here.

He closed his eyes, wondering if his ability to shape shift would still work. It had been so long since he had even tried to transform, he doubted that he would even have the strength to maintain such a level of magic for the time he required.

All at once, his limbs vanished, his arms turning to feathery wings. He shrunk down until he was a fraction of his original height, his nose turned into a small, pointed beak. It had worked; he was an owl, and providing he didn't get caught, he would be able to fly over the entirety of the Labyrinth in a matter of minutes.

He began to fly, looking down the whole time. It was hard to see through the tangled weeds, as well as the crumbled walls. The stone section of the Labyrinth looked particularly derelict; paths were almost entirely blocked. The Labyrinth could no longer regulate itself, and instead of creating new paths, it was just giving up.

As he flew, he could see walls rebuild themselves as he passed; that was odd. He stopped, flying lower and perching on a wall that still stood. It was as though someone was waving a magic wand over them, and everything was changing.

He took off again, heading towards the plant section. It was here that the heart of the Labyrinth lay, and any change generally began there. The anatomy of a maze was one that was a little confusing, but it was his understanding that this is where both the Labyrinth's life blood and brain resided. He had never been inside; the damn door was too small for him to fit through.

Here, too, things were changing; brown leaves turned to green, tangled branches fell to the ground. Something was happening, and he wasn't sure he liked it - not whilst he had no idea where Sarah was.

As he got closer to the heart, he saw someone rather familiar. For a split second, Jareth wondered if he should continue flying, not wanting to attract attention to the fact he was illegally Underground.

 _Bollocks to that,_ he thought - his own safety didn't matter anymore. He was so old that he didn't particularly care if he died. Sarah? He cared very, very much if she died.

He flew down to where Rinat was, and transformed back into himself. He was an easier target as an owl - yes, he could fly, but he could also be shot down. Much easier to have a fight in his true form.

"Rinat." Jareth said coldly, making the other man almost jump out of his skin. "How wonderful to see you again."

"Get out." Rinat said through gritted teeth, one hand over his groin. "I'm having enough trouble with that bitch of yours."

"Spirited thing, isn't she?" Jareth said pleasantly, eyeing Rinat with amusement. "Swift kick to the nethers, was it?"

"Shut up." Rinat said bitterly.

"Hello Hogwart." Jareth said, finally noticing the dwarf standing there. "I was rather worried about you."

"Spying is a punishable offense." Rinat said, finally straightening himself out. "He was being punished."

"Spying? No, not spying. He is merely a dear friend. There was nothing in my banishment about not seeing my friends anymore." Jareth said lightly.

"I think you'll find there was." Rinat replied scathingly. "Anyway, I don't have time for this idle chit chat!"

"Where is she?" Jareth demanded, his voice level. It was as though he found this whole thing amusing, which Rinat of course found utterly infuriating.

"She ran that way, I don't have time for your distractions!"

"I'm not distracting you, I'm merely trying to get a handle on the situation."

"How did you get here, anyway?" Rinat asked suspiciously. "I hope those damn Goblins didn't help you through."

"I used the hole you left." Jareth shrugged. "Really, you should be more careful."

"I didn't leave a hole!" Rinat replied furiously; Jareth had always done this, always found a way to land on his feet. Ever since they were children, Jareth had always come out on top. Not this time.

"Oh, it was tiny. But then I used a little of your magic to get here too. I feel so much stronger here. Back to normal." Jareth said, lacing his fingers together and stretching his arms out.

"Don't get used to it." Rinat said bitterly. "Help me find the girl."

"What's in it for me?"

"I won't kill you if you help me find the girl." Rinat said indifferently, and Jareth tutted, shaking his head. "What?!"

"Hmm, not good enough." Jareth said thoughtfully. "I'd rather like my throne back, and my beloved Sarah in one piece. Whatever tosh you're peddling about her stealing the Labyrinth's power isn't true. Look."

Jareth reached out to touch some withered leaves, and under his fingertips they sprung back to life, a pink blossom growing from nowhere and flowering. Rinat watched with an open mouth.

"It was me. I took the power, well, I didn't take it by choice - it is part of me. Sarah may have a little control of her own, but not nearly enough to cause all this destruction. Now, you have been interfering Above, kidnapping an innocent human. The Council won't look kindly on that. I don't look kindly on that, either."

"She went that way." Rinat said, backing away. Jareth was an incredibly powerful man, and Rinat didn't like the look in his eyes. "Through the leaves."

"Through the leaves?!" Jareth asked again, and Rinat nodded. Jareth immediately changed back into his feathery form, flying at a rapid speed towards the heart of the Labyrinth. She would be there, he was sure of it.

As he flew, he heard a terrible, blood curdling scream. Peering down through the thick branches, he saw Sarah.

He flew down beside her, immediately changing back into his usual form. She was concious, though disorientated. He crouched beside her, taking her in his arms. She blinked up at him, and thrashed against him when she realised who he was.

"No!" Sarah said fearfully, pushing him away. "Let me go!"

"Sarah, Sarah it's me." Jareth said, holding her by the shoulders and looking at her. She wouldn't look up, staring at his chest. She was frowning, as though trying not to cry.

"Liar!" She bit out, her throat tight. He froze, the hatred in her voice catching him off guard. She looked so hurt, and it was all his fault.

"You know then." He said, lowering her to the ground and sitting down beside her. She edged away from him, looking panicked. Her eyes were moving rapidly, her breathing ragged and forced. "Sarah, what just happened?"

"I don't know." She panted, raising a hand to her head. "I was running towards that building, and it was like I ran into an electric fence. Everything hurts, everything feels a little hazy."

"Ah." Jareth said, reaching out and touching her hair softly. She shrank away from him with a glare. "I think I know what happened."

"What?" Sarah asked him shakily, refusing to look him in the eye "What just happened to me? I feel weird."

"The Labyrinth took its power back from you, that's all. It can't have a human running around with all that power, it isn't safe. That's why you were feeling so sick, darling. It would have killed you in the end. I should have known what was happening, I should have seen it."

"Well, I'm sure you were very busy pretending to be a human. Keeping up a lie must be exhausting." She hissed at him, shaking with anger and exhaustion.

"Sarah, I wanted to tell you, I was going to tell you tonight-"

"Bullshit!" She yelled, and he flinched. "I had to hear it from Hoggle! Hoggle, who I thought was a figment of my imagination! It all makes sense now; you said his name when you were sick. What about the book, did you steal that so I wouldn't figure out who you were?"

"No! I didn't take The Labyrinth, and that other book was given to you so you'd realise who I was sooner, but then it hid itself. It spoke to me, it gave me a message..this all has something to do with a prophecy, but I don't understand."

"Well, I don't give a crap! Just take me home, get me out of here. The Labyrinth has its power back so let me go." Sarah said firmly, wanting to get as far away from him as possible.

"I'm not keeping you here!" Jareth protested. "Sarah, just calm down. I love you-"

"I don't know who you are!" Sarah said sharply. "I hardly remember you. I thought that Rinat guy was you for a while, that's how little I remember. You stole my memories!"

"It wasn't me! It was-"

"I swear if I have to hear about that damn Council one more time, Jareth." Sarah said sharply. "Stop making excuses. You knew the whole time that I wasn't dreaming. You're a whole different person and you lied to me!"

"Sarah, please. I can explain everything. I love you, please!"

"People who love other people don't lie to them!" She said, her voice near hysterical. She was trying desperately not to cry. "Do you know how hard it is for me to trust people? For me to let them in? I let you in."

"I'm sorry." Jareth told her sincerely, and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. "You're right. I deceived you. You can't even remember me, can you? What do you think I did to you here?"

"Drugged me, tried to kill me, stole my brother." Sarah ticked them off on her fingers. "That's what the story says. Am I right?"

"It's not a story." Jareth admitted, and he thought for a moment. "You held the prophecy in your hands. That book was the prophecy."

"This makes no sense at all." Sarah said wearily, and she sank down to the floor. She felt weak, and emotionally drained. This was probably a bad time for a rest; Rinat was still out there, and she wasn't sure if she'd be off the hook quite yet. "When we get out of here, if we get out of here, I never want to see you again."

"Sarah." His voice cracked, and he knelt in front of her. He looked broken, shattered into a thousand pieces. "Sarah, we're meant to be together. I love you, I love you so much."

"Liar!" She hissed, her hands digging into the dirt. "Liar."

* * *

 **A/N: We're coming close to the end now, just a couple more chapters to go (I think, I have the last chapter written but not the next one, so we'll see..) Please leave a review!  
**


	17. Chapter 17

"You're angry." Jareth said, taking a deep breath. "I get it, you're angry at me. I shouldn't have lied, but I was honestly going to tell you tonight."

"You should have told me months ago." She said weakly. She looked at him carefully, taking in his altered appearance. It should have been familiar to her, but it wasn't. It was like he was dressed up as a character in a play - in fact, his costume was better than any they had in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"Yes, I should." He agreed. "I was worried if I told you, you'd be angry. At least I was right."

"You look different." She said, eyeing him up and down.

"I know." He said simply, sitting on the floor opposite her. This probably wasn't the best time for a heart to heart, but he needed to talk to her. He needed to make this right; the thought of losing her sickened him.

"That's what I felt in the shower, wasn't it?" Sarah said, gesturing to his long hair. Jareth reached up to touch it, and noticed that it was no longer gelled down, though it was still tied back. Perhaps the Labyrinth didn't approve of his new look. He took out the band and shook his hair free. "I don't like it."

"Noted."

"Is your name really Jareth?" She asked suspiciously. He nodded.

"Hardly a name I'd make up, precious."

"Don't do that." Sarah said sharply, glaring at him.

"What?" He asked, frowning. He hadn't done anything.

"Call me precious. It's what you did when we were together."

"Are we not together anymore?" He asked gently, reaching out to touch her cheek. She flinched, but let him touch her. His skin felt warm for the first time, and it was yet another thing that had changed.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do."

"I am truly sorry, Sarah." He told her, and she looked at him. She said nothing for a few moments, and he thought he saw a smile, just for a second, play on her lips.

"Noted." There was a loud rumble of thunder in the distance, and Sarah looked up in alarm. She hated thunder. "Can we stop talking? We need to get out of here. Can you take me home?"

"We can't leave yet." Jareth said; he wasn't sure he was strong enough to take Sarah Above, transporting another took a huge level of power, and though his was returning, taking her before he was ready could lead to some rather dramatic mishaps. Like only getting part of her home.

"Am I still in danger?" Sarah asked. "Rinat doesn't know what happened. I'm not sure I know what happened either. We should go find him, explain. Maybe he'd let me go."

"I will go and find him. Stay here." Jareth instructed her, and Sarah shifted uneasily. He narrowed his eyes are her. "Right here, Sarah."

"Why should I?" She demanded, hands on hips. Really, he was expecting her to say 'it's not fair' at any moment.

"The Labyrinth is a dangerous place to wander around. Stay here so I know exactly where you are, then when this is all over, I will return and I will take you back to New York."

"Thank you." Sarah said, folding her arms. She was still furious. He wondered if he'd ever see her again after he took her home - if her words a few minutes earlier were any indication, this would be the last time.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised, and she nodded curtly.

He turned, and without looking back changed into his owl form. He didn't see Sarah staring after him open mouthed - that part had not been mentioned in any of the books she had read.

Jareth flew the short distance to where he had last seen Rinat and Hoggle, and to his relief Rinat was there, but Hoggle was gone. It had only been a matter of minutes since Jareth had left, and when he landed, Rinat looked at him suspiciously.

"Where is she?"

"She is safe." Jareth said simply. "What do you want with her?"

"I want her to give up the power she has stolen!" Rinat demanded, and Jareth scoffed openly at him. Rinat's days as King were numbered, he was making too many mistakes.

"Still on that, are we? Do change the record."

"What does that mean?" Rinat questioned, and Jareth realised he was using human expressions.

"Shut up, basically." Jareth shrugged. Rinat had never been Above for more than a few minutes. "For the last time, she has no power. At least, not anymore. The Labyrinth has claimed it back. I rather think it was playing a game, a ruse to get me to return."

"You flatter yourself." Rinat said mockingly, and Jareth laughed.

"Perhaps, but the Labyrinth needs me. Denying that for your own selfish desires will only serve to tear this place apart. Have you no thought for the residents of this place? The goblins, Hoggle, whatever the hell most of the other things in this place are..they all need stability. You are failing them."

"It was written in the prophecy that Sarah would reject you yet again when she found out who you truly were." Rinat said, ignoring Jareth's previous rant. "Did the prophecy come true?"

"Was it you that stole the book?" Jareth asked, ignoring Rinat just as he had ignored him. "The book of The Labyrinth. Sarah's copy is missing, and when she asked around no other mortals knew of it's existence."

"That little red thing? Yes, it was me. I had no idea that she was your lover, though. Taking the book was just another step in stopping her from recalling the Labyrinth. Every time she read it over the years, things got a little worse. That book has untold power. I thought if I disposed of it, she would stop thinking of the Labyrinth and the connection would be broken. When that didn't work, I knew I had to bring her here."

"Well, you were wrong." Jareth said witheringly. "She looked for the book, and probably thought of it more than ever. So, instead of letting her discover you for herself, perhaps by absent mindedly saying the words, you just stole her away. That _will_ be looked upon badly by the Council." Jareth tutted, knowing that he could antagonize Rinat easily. Nobody was as easy to infuriate as a man desperately clinging to something that he knew wasn't his.

"Nonsense. I did what I had to do. You will be seeing the Council soon enough; violating the terms of your banishment to interfere with the workings of the Labyrinth? A grave crime indeed."

"I tire of this. I am the rightful King, and you know it! You can call all the trials you want, it won't change a damn thing! I die, the Labyrinth dies with me."

"We cannot have a King who can't even stop a child defeating the Labyrinth!"

"She was always going to win, did your prophecy not say that?! There was nothing I could do to stop it. Anyway, this whole thing is getting terribly boring and repetitive. May I return Sarah Above? I assure you, any power she possessed is gone now."

"Fine." Rinat agreed. Jareth was surprised; Rinat hadn't even seen Sarah. He didn't seem the type to just take Jareth's word on it. "Be quick. Return here within the hour."

"Oh, I'm allowed back am I?" Jareth asked, eyebrow quirked. Rinat smirked at him.

"We can't have a trial without the defendant."

Jareth said nothing in response, merely transforming and taking flight. The threat of a severe punishment didn't bother him - in fact, Rinat was merely backing himself into a corner. No matter how much power and influence he thought he possessed, it was a grave offense to just kidnap a mortal. And now, he was letting Sarah leave without wiping her memory, meaning if push came to shove, she would be able to testify against him. Rinat was a fool, Jareth thought, a predictable, clueless fool.

As he landed at the spot where he had left Sarah, he groaned. It was empty. Of course she had run off, she was probably terrified of him.

"Sarah!" He shouted, turning to see where she could have gone. There were half a dozen exits from here, and he had no idea where she was. The sky was darkening, turning black above him. Thunder rumbled once again in the distance, and Jareth shut his eyes, trying to formulate a plan. A storm in the Labyrinth was never a good sign, and Sarah was out there. He couldn't fly in conditions like this - all it would take was a little lightning, and he would be dead.

He couldn't just appear to her - he wasn't the Goblin King anymore, and he couldn't sense her in here. It was like something was blocking him out - maybe it was the Labyrinth itself.

He almost started walking blindly in any direction, until he remembered with a small jolt of joy that he had most of his magic back. He twisted his hand, and a crystal appeared in his palm. He could see Sarah, but her surroundings were unfamiliar. It was as though the crystal was shrouded in fog, her image fading in and out. She was still in the leafy section of the Labyrinth, but she was in trouble.

"Sarah!" He called out again, hoping the Labyrinth would cut her a little slack now things were returning to normal. "Sarah, where are you?"

* * *

As soon as Jareth left, Sarah scrambled to her feet and ran. It was a stupid decision, one driven by fear and an impulsive desire to get away from him. As soon as she recovered her senses, she realised that she could hear that voice again, calling her.

It was getting darker, the hedges thicker, and soon there was hardly enough room for her to pass through. She was being trapped. She turned back, panting hard and desperately trying to remember the way she came, but the path was blocked.

The gap got smaller and smaller, until the leaves were touching her on either side. She struggled against them, feeling as though she was about to be crushed. She screamed as the leaves gathered over her head, forcing her down. The ground underneath her fell away, and for the second time she found herself falling into darkness.

She landed in a heap, and steadied her breathing. Why did she run away? That was possibly the worst decision she had ever made in her life. Now, she was stuck under the Labyrinth in complete darkness, and she got the feeling Hoggle wasn't going to conveniently appear this time. Idiot.

"Just stay calm." She told herself sternly. "I can just wait here until the thirteen hours are up. What's he going to do, kill me for losing?" She let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, genius. That's exactly what could happen."

"Why did you run away?!" She was going mad, talking to herself.

 _Sarah.._

"Who's there?!" Sarah yelled out, wishing there was at least a little light. She hated the darkness almost as much as she hated thunder. "Show yourself!"

 _You must make him stay. We have waited so long, Sarah, yet you have failed us. We trusted in you to return our power, yet you were not strong enough. You must make our Goblin King stay._

"He has nothing to do with me!" Sarah protested. "I can't make him do anything."

 _You are his destiny, the other half of his soul. You must make him stay._

"What?" Sarah asked, her voice softening. She just hoped whatever this voice was was talking about Jareth, rather than that Rinat guy. "If you want him to stay, it's up to the Council. They're the ones who banished him."

 _Then you have no say over him?_

"Not about him staying here, no!" Sarah yelled out into the blackness, wondering what the hell was going on. She wasn't sure if the voice was around her, or just in her head. Either way, she looked pretty crazy right now.

 _Then we have wasted our time. You are no longer required._

Sarah opened her mouth to ask what they meant, but before she could speak, she felt a hard blow to the back of her head. She hit the ground hard, blinding lights in her eyes. Then, everything was quiet.

* * *

Jareth couldn't see her anymore. Everything had gone dark and silent about five minutes ago, yet he still stared into the useless crystal as though she would reappear.

"Where is she?" Rinat appeared behind him, and Jareth jumped. The crystal fell from his hands, smashing on the ground.

"I don't know." Jareth bit out irritably. "Something has gone wrong. Go and get her now."

"I can't."

"Why not?! There is no reason for her to be running the Labyrinth in the first place, if you let her die you will be a murderer!"

"I know that." Rinat said irritably. "I physically can't."

"Why not?" Jareth demanded, crossing his arms. This whole thing was a bloody shambles; Rinat had no idea what he was doing, and everything was falling apart.

"I don't know where she is. The Labyrinth has blocked me."

"You fool! You have allowed the damn thing to do whatever it wishes, with no control. Who knows what has happened to Sarah now! If she's dead, I will kill you with my bare hands."

"I have called your father." Rinat admitted uneasily; he was out of his depth, things were spiraling and he didn't know what to do.

"Good." Jareth said, twisting his hands together anxiously. "I wish to speak with him too."

Jareth looked around him, and he took a deep breath.

"Labyrinth! If you can hear me, I demand the release of the human. I will do whatever you wish, but you must return her to me this instant!" Jareth called out, feeling ridiculous talking to thin air. The Labyrinth could understand him, he knew, but he had never conversed with it out loud before.

 _You must return to us, Jareth. You are our chosen King, and if you do not return to the throne, the girl will die. We are dying without you. That fool is useless to us; he is making things worse.  
_

As the Labyrinth said the words, Rinat went flying backwards. It had struck him, and he groaned breathlessly as he lay in a crumpled heap.

"I know you are! You've been making me weak, trying to leech off my power to keep yourself alive." Jareth said irritably. "What have you done with Sarah?!"

 _We will lead you to the girl, but you must swear that you will return Underground._

"If he returns to the throne, will you be restored?" Rinat asked, still lying on the floor, and Jareth was reassured that it wasn't just him that could hear this voice. Rinat looked defeated; Jareth wondered if this was the first time the Labyrinth had displayed such violence towards him.

 _Yes._

"Then I abdicate." Rinat said, sighing heavily. At once, his demeanour changed; as though a weight had been lifted. He had been so consumed by power, combined with his hatred of Jareth, that he had refused to see the realities of his situation. Now, he faced extreme punishment for his actions as well as being attacked by a bloody maze. "And frankly I'm glad. This whole thing was an enormous pain in the arse, I don't know how you've managed it for all these years."

"I wasn't expecting that to be so easy." Jareth said, blinking a little. "You just - give up?"

"There are conditions." Rinat said, and Jareth rolled his eyes. Of course there would be a catch. Nobody just surrendered a throne just like that.

"Name them." Jareth said wearily; this was wasting time. Sarah was God knows where, and he needed to get to her as soon as possible. He would take her Above, and then he would see what happened next.

"Don't tell your father that I took Sarah without her consent." Rinat begged; Jareth almost laughed. The punishment for what Rinat had done was death; of course Rinat was trying to take the easy way out. Jareth thought about it for a moment; really, what would he gain by having Rinat killed? Better to take his throne back without the dark smudge of execution tainting it.

"On one condition." He said, and Rinat looked at him cautiously.

"What?"

"You tell the council to restore Sarah's memories, once we find her of course." Jareth said - those memories were hers, and she deserved them back.

"As you wish."

"Right, we're wasting time. You go that way, I'll go this way. If you find her, bring her to me straight away."

"Fine." Rinat said, setting off. Jareth smirked, calling after him.

"Your Majesty."

"What?" Rinat stopped and turned around.

"You forgot to call me Your Majesty."

"Don't test me, Jareth." Rinat said witheringly.

The Labyrinth was as good as its word - it guided Jareth towards the spot where Sarah had vanished, and he could sense her. He shut his eyes and thought of her, and he was beside her. He waved his hand and there was light; they were in an Oubliette he didn't even know existed. She would have died here; the most secret part of the Labyrinth had claimed her.

He knelt beside her, trying to feel for her pulse. It was beating hard, and he groaned with relief. She was alive, that was all that felt as strong as he had all those years ago, his magic powerful once more. Now, he just needed to get her home.

He would take her to the castle first, and have her examined properly. When he was sure she was well, he would take her Above.

* * *

Sarah groaned. Her head ached like crazy, and she raised a hand to touch her forehead. There was a huge lump there, and she winced as her fingers brushed over it. She hesitantly opened her eyes; she was in her bedroom. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was being in the theatre, and then - nothing.

She sat up, wondering how she got back here and why her head hurt so much. Where was Jerry? She was meant to see him-

Oh shit.

Then she remembered. She felt fury wash over her. That lying bastard!

She went to get up, and her eye was caught by something on her pillow. It was her old copy of The Labyrinth. She picked it up, and a sheet of paper fell out. She lifted it, and squinted to read it. The page was filled with a scratchy handwriting she didn't recognize. As soon as she began to read, she knew who had written this letter.

 _My dearest Sarah,_

 _I am sorry for leaving before you woke, but I thought it would be best if I adhered to your wishes to not see me again. You have been examined by healers, and you may have a headache for a while, but you will be fine. I am sorry that you came to any harm at all - it is all entirely my fault.  
_

 _You will find that your lost memories of the Labyrinth - and me - have been returned to you. They are rightly yours, and I know that you will be glad to have them back._

 _I deceived you, and that was wrong of me. Although I was not entirely truthful about who I was, know that every word of love was real. I love you dearly, Sarah. I never intended to trick you, or trap you - what happened tonight was a terrible thing, and one that I did not plan. Lying to you was the worst decision I have ever made, and one I shall bitterly regret until the day I die.  
_

 _I will not see you again, as per your wishes, but know that there will not be a second that passes where you are not on my mind. I will be Underground from now on, so feel free to go about your life with no fear of accidentally bumping into me._

 _I have also returned your copy of The Labyrinth - it is too complex to explain on this scrap of paper, but you were always meant to have this. Keep it safe._

 _Should you ever wish to see me again, just call for me. I'll be listening._

 _Forever yours,_

 _J._

Sarah blinked down at the letter. Then, she ripped it clean in half, and then half again, her hands working furiously until there was nothing left but a pile of confetti.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you soon with the next one!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright without me?" Nikki asked, frowning at Sarah. "I'll be gone the whole weekend."

"Just the weekend?" Sarah asked with a laugh, looking down at Nikki's suitcase which was big enough for a round the world vacation.

"I needed options." Nikki shrugged. "But seriously, will you be alright?"

"Fine. I've got my friends Ben and Jerry in the freezer, and a copy of Love Story from Blockbuster in the VCR."

"That's the most depressing movie on the planet, Sar." Nikki said, rolling her eyes.

"Isn't it just." Sarah said gleefully, slumping down on the sofa.

"It's been two months." Nikki said, biting her lip. "I'm worried about you."

Sarah had tried to block the passing time; she knew she really should call on Jerry - Jareth, and discuss what had happened. Instead, she was trying to pretend like nothing mattered. She hadn't told Nikki why the breakup had happened, only that it had. She had cried for weeks, in fact she still cried every night before falling asleep and dreaming of him. She was trapped in a cycle of anger and longing, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand it.

Calling him would be dangerous; enough time had passed, and she was pretty sure if she saw him again she'd pretty much rip her clothes off as soon as he entered the room. She loved him, she knew. It wasn't fading, and being apart from him ached as though something was missing from her. Above all, the pain of betrayal still stabbed at her; broken trust as painful as any broken bone.

"Kevin from class asked me out yesterday." Sarah said, and Nikki smiled tentatively. "I said yes. I know, enough moping about. Plenty more fish in the sea."

"This will be good for you! Forget about that jerk."

"Hmm, I wouldn't go that far." Sarah said, wondering if she'd ever be able to forget Jareth.

"Are you sure there's no chance?" Nikki asked quietly, and Sarah glared at her. "It's just you won't even tell me what he did wrong, but you're so hung up over him! I'm worried you just ran away."

"I can't say what happened. It hurts way too much. Just trust me when I say that he's a complete ass, alright? Now go, Mark's waiting downstairs."

"Alright, I'm going. Call me on the cabin number if you need anything, alright?"

"Sure. Now go have a romantic weekend where you can't keep your hands off of each other and leave your spinster roommate to die alone."

"Just promise me you won't adopt any cats while I'm gone." Nikki said, only half joking.

"Ooh, not sure if I can make that promise Nik." Sarah laughed as her friend frowned in concern. Sarah was more of a dog person anyway. "Seriously, get out of here!"

With a last glance over Sarah, she gave her friend a hug and left. Sarah immediately went to the fridge and got out the bottle of white wine she'd been saving for such an occasion. She poured a generous glass, and was just taking her first sip when somebody knocked on the door. Nikki must have let them up on her way out. Sarah groaned, placing her wine on the side and padding over to the door. She looked through the peep hole, and saw someone unexpected.

"Alice?" Sarah frowned as she opened the door. Alice was standing there, looking the same as always. Her arms were folded, and she looked angry. Sarah wondered when she'd turn up - she was surprised it had taken this long. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." Alice said firmly, and Sarah sighed.

"You do?" Sarah asked, acting innocent. "About what?"

"About Jareth." Alice told her, and Sarah tried to ignore the leap in her heart she felt at the sound of his name.

"What about him? We broke up." Sarah said, turning to go into the apartment and leaving the door open for Alice to follow her. She picked up her glass of wine, not offering one to Alice. She didn't feel like sharing.

"I know you did. He's miserable without you, and if you don't mind me saying, you look like shit too." Alice said, and Sarah pulled down her Mickey Mouse pajama top self consciously. She had been holding it together for the last two months, behaving like a fully functional human being, and Alice had to come over now?!

"Thanks. It's nice that you're, um, concerned about us, but we broke up for a reason. From what I've pieced together, you know what that reason is, don't you?" Sarah asked, and Alice nodded, arms folded. Sarah could see the family resemblance now.

"You broke up because you found out he's the Goblin King and you don't know if he really loves you. Or, you love him but you're pissed as hell that he lied to you, and you think he's a lying bastard but you're also confused because you still love him but you're both far too stubborn to make the first move." Alice said, hitting the nail on the head with astonishing bluntness.

"He loves me. Maybe I only love him because he's Fae, and it's just part of who he is. I read it in a book. You're all alluring as hell, aren't you?"

"That doesn't matter right now, Jareth matters. He's falling apart without you." Alice told her earnestly, and Sarah bit her lip. She hadn't called for him, and she had wondered how he was.

"Is he Above?" Sarah asked, knowing that in his note he said he would be Underground. Still, it wasn't as though he had a great track record for telling the truth. "I haven't seen him around here."

"No. He's back in the Goblin City." Alice said. "He's King again."

"Well, I can't go there anyway. I don't know if he told you but I didn't have the best experience there last time. It's not a place for humans anyway, is it?"

"No. You'd die after a while, I suppose. I don't know the exact details of how it works. But he'd move back here in a heartbeat. He couldn't stand to stay, he said it reminded him of you. The whole city. This whole planet, it reminds him of you. Sarah, he's lost without you. He needs you."

"Well, I don't need him." She said, though the words sounded false even to her. "I can't trust him. He doesn't need me anymore anyway, he's got his throne back. He just wants what he can't have, like always."

"He had no choice but to lie to you. The council had wiped your memory, they were desperate to keep you apart. Knowledge of our world would put you in huge danger, Sarah. You need to understand that. And I think part of him wanted you to fall in love with him for the person he is inside. He's an arrogant jerk sometimes, but he's not a monster."

"He should have told me! I was kidnapped because he couldn't protect me, and I had no chance to protect myself!" Sarah said shakily. "He should have told me at the start, maybe things would be different. It just feels as though I fell in love with a lie!"

"He almost died living up here! Can't you see that? He was willing to die for you, and you repaid him by leaving him!" Alice said, and Sarah felt uncomfortable at her judgemental tone. She knew exactly why she had chosen to walk away, and she didn't need Jareth's cousin coming here and interfering.

"It's not like that!" Sarah said, shaking her head. Her voice was strangled, her throat hurting from the strain of not bursting into tears. "I was only in danger in the first place because of him. He tricked me, whether he admits it or not. I wouldn't stay with him back then, so he pretended to be a whole other person. He would have been up here anyway, even if I'd never seen him again, so don't pretend like that was for me! Would I have fallen in love with him if I knew that he was the Goblin King?"

"But he's not just the Goblin King!" Alice protested. "Sarah, you're being way too hard on him. You mean everything to him. I'm not telling you what to do, but I think you know deep down that you'd be happier with him and being mad for a while than living the rest of your life without him."

"I'm fine." She said firmly. "I even have a date tomorrow night."

"If you're so fine, why are you drinking wine at three in the afternoon in your PJs? And let me guess, there's a sad movie in your VCR."

"Maybe." Sarah wavered, and Alice watched as her lip quivered. "Okay, maybe I miss him. A bit."

"Will you see him?" Alice asked her, and Sarah's shoulders sagged. "Please. I'm worried about him. I'm worried about you, too. I care about you Sarah, you're a great kid. Jareth is my blood, it pains me to see him like this."

"What's he like?" Sarah asked, wanting to hear that Jareth was just as miserable as she was. More miserable even. To be honest, she would only be satisfied if he was pretty much living in a cave because he was so heartbroken.

"He's not eating, he's not sleeping. I'm still not allowed Underground but I've heard rumours that there's hardly any space left in that Bog of his. Everyone's angering him."

"How's the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, thinking of the mess she had seen. Everything was a little hazy thanks to that knock on the head, but she at least hoped it would be fine. Hoggle and the others deserved a peaceful place to live.

"It's getting there, he tells me. Some bits are dead now, but the power is replenishing. I pity any fool who runs it while he's in this mood, they have no chance of getting out."

"I'll see him." Sarah sighed. "But not like this, so don't make him appear in here please. I need to look hot." Sarah said, smoothing down her matted hair. Alice raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, there's something rather charming about a woman wearing Mickey Mouse pyjamas."

The voice coming from behind her made her freeze. She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she dared to open them again, Alice was gone.

"Go away. I didn't invite you here Jerr-Jareth." She exhaled in frustration. "I don't even know what to call you anymore!"

"Jareth." He said pleadingly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder and making her turn around. He was in his Underground attire, his hair long and tinged with red at the tips, as though dipped in blood. She turned her head away from him, and he cupped her cheek, trying to pull her face back to look at him. His hand was gloved, and the cool leather against her hot skin made her shiver. "Please, call me Jareth."

"It's funny, even though I knew you were called Jareth this whole time, I always thought of you as Jerry. It's like you're a different person. It's like Jerry is dead." She said bitterly, moving away from him and slamming the glass of wine down so hard it almost shattered.

"Sarah, it was me. Different hair and a different name doesn't mean I was a different person. I meant every word I said to you, and every second I spent with you was the most wonderful of my entire existence."

"Pretty words won't change the fact that I spent months sleeping with a liar!" She hissed at him.

"It wasn't lying. It just wasn't quite the truth." He said uneasily, and she groaned at him.

"All the things you told me about your past, about your family. None of them were true."

"No. I suppose they weren't. My mother really is dead though. And my father really does hate me." Jareth told her. "Although he's a little kinder to me now I'm the savior of the Underground."

"What, am I meant to feel sorry for you?" She hissed, immediately regretting her harsh tone. He looked at her witheringly, his mouth set in a thin line. His jaw was tense, his hands balled into fists. She looked at him closely; the purple of his markings matched the heavy shadows under his eyes. He was thinner than ever, his cheekbones jutting out from his face.

"No." He replied irritably. "I'm just trying to establish a base line for honesty here."

"You repeatedly tried to kill me when I was fifteen years old." Sarah said, crossing her arms. "And you drugged me and tried to make me stay and marry you. That's not okay by any stretch of the imagination."

"I tried to make you _lose_." He corrected her. "Can't you see why? Look at all the trouble your victory caused."

"Maybe you shouldn't go around taking babies!" She said in anger.

"Maybe you shouldn't have wished him away!" Jareth retorted. "It was always going to happen, the book was just there to make sure you knew what to do!"

"I only got the idea from the stupid book!"

"No, Sarah. It was written in fate that you would wish Toby away to me. The seer who wrote the prophecy knew that. I didn't make you do that, but it was meant to happen."

"Oh." Sarah said, not quite able to get her head around that.

"The victory, however - that was something that needed to be prevented. I tried to defeat you, honestly I tried. The end, do you remember the end?"

"Yes." She said, thinking of him in his weird feathered cape. That was one memory she could do without - it was hard to take a man seriously in beige tights.

"I tried to make you stay with me. I wanted you then, I wanted you for myself. I fell in love with you, even though I hardly knew you. You are my soulmate, Sarah. You can fight it, you can deny it - I will let you live your life without me if that's what you really want."

 _The king of the goblins had fallen in love with the the girl.._

"I don't know what I want." She admitted quietly. "It's been two months living without you and I'm not happy."

"I'm not happy either. I miss you terribly." He told her, brushing hair away from her face. She leaned into his touch, wishing she could feel his skin rather than the obtrusive leather. "I suppose Alice told you."

"I miss you too." She admitted, not looking at him in the eyes. "I don't know what to do. I miss you so much it aches, but I just feel like I fell in love with someone who wasn't you. How can I trust that I really did fall in love? The Fae are alluring, I know that now. I was drawn to you, I had no chance of resisting."

"Yes, I'm handsome Sarah, but the allure of the Fae doesn't encourage love. In fact, it almost repels it. We aren't the most committed of creatures."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't usually fall in love, or encourage others to fall for us. Infatuation, yes. Blind dedication, yes. But real love, like the love that we share? That isn't part of our biology."

"So if I love you.."

"If you love me, really love me despite all of my flaws and all that, then that's down to you, not me. I have no control over your true emotions. If I did, I would have never let you leave me all those years ago."

She eyed him warily.

"Is that really true?" She asked nervously.

"Do you think we could move past this?" He asked nervously, and he pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her head in his neck. "Do you think you can forgive me?"

"Yes." She said, her voice muffled against his skin. "Yes, but not yet. I need to be pissed at you for just a bit longer."

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?" He asked, leaning to whisper into her ear, taking her lobe in between his teeth gently. She shuddered against him, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Never lie to me again." She said throatily, as his mouth moved down to her neck.

"Never." He vowed, pressing open mouthed kisses to the skin above her collar bone.

"Stop smoking." She commanded him, and he straightened himself out and looked at her.

"Already done. I don't need to anymore. I only did it because it was the only thing that eased the damn pain."

"Eased the pain? What?" Sarah asked, frowning in confusion.

"As a magical being, losing power and becoming weaker is extraordinarily painful. Human drugs do not work on me, not in the desired way anyway, but nicotine is a form of pain relief to us."

"You smoked constantly."

"I was in a lot of pain." He admitted uneasily. "All gone now though. The Labyrinth is keeping me strong."

"What would have happened if they hadn't taken me? If you hadn't gotten your power back?"

"I would have died." He shrugged. "A few more years of living, maybe. But eventually I would have weakened so much that all the iron here would have killed me."

"Oh." Sarah said softly. "I guess it was for the best, then."

"There would have been better ways for it to have happened." He said, kissing her forehead. "I never wanted you to be in any danger, Sarah. I honestly believed that they would have no interest in us. I was a fool, but I was in love. Am in love."

"I'm scared." Sarah admitted. "I never found it easy to trust anyone, and I trusted you. And it turned out you were lying to me the whole time."

"I did that to protect you."

"You did it to protect yourself." Sarah said pointedly. "You had no idea that I was holding the Labyrinth's power, did you?"

"No." Jareth admitted. "If I had, I don't know what I would have done."

"So don't pretend. If this is ever going to work, I need total honesty from you. If I have the smallest bit of doubt about you, I'll never be able to trust you. Without trust, there's no relationship."

"I pledge that I will always be honest, from now on."

"Are you mad that I didn't call for you?"

"Furious." Jareth said, his hands tangled in her hair. He longed to kiss her, but he would wait until she allowed him. "I assume you got the letter?"

"I ripped it up and threw it out the window."

"Wonderful. If we're being honest, you really are the most hideously stubborn woman I've ever met."

"And you're an arrogant narcissist." Sarah said with a smile. She lunged forwards and kissed him hard. "I missed you like crazy."

"I missed you too, precious. So much. I mean it, I am so sorry for lying to you."

"I can't pretend it's okay, you know. Everything isn't magically going to slot back into place. And that wasn't a pun." Sarah said. "But these two months have made me realize how much I love you, and that maybe some things are worth moving past."

"Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"Yes." Sarah said seriously, looking him up and down. "I don't think you'll like it."

"What?" Jareth asked, eyebrow raised. "Anything."

"Get a haircut."

* * *

 **A/N: Surprise, two updates in one day..I've had this one written for a while actually. I think this will probably be the penultimate chapter, I was going to chuck a lemon in but decided against it. Also, I hope people don't find this too unrealistic - we all have those people that have done something dumb and we're super mad at them but then we see them and it's all forgiven - right? Not just me?  
**

 **Anyway, if there's anything you'd like to see in the last chapter (or maybe last couple of chapters depending on what I can think up in my little brain), just drop me a line.**


	19. Chapter 19

"I'm not cutting my hair, Sarah. It's taken me almost a thousand years to get it like this." Jareth said, his lips pouting a little. He was particular about his appearance; like all Fae, he was incredibly vain. This was something he had never attempted to hide from Sarah.

"Fine." Sarah replied sulkily. "I suppose I can get used to it. It's just a little..1980s."

"Oh, and I suppose now we're in 1994, everything has to be all modern. I'll have you know I had this hairstyle before it was cool." Jareth said, and Sarah laughed.

"It was never cool. Sorry to break it to you." Sarah said seriously, and he tutted.

"Sarah love, I've been missing you like mad for two months and the only thing we can find to talk about is my hair? I'm not changing it and that's that. You cut _your_ hair, you're the one who malts all over the damn place."

"Okay, okay, no hair cuts." She looked at him for a moment. "Show me your glamour. I want to see how it happens."

"You know all the technical terms, do you?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I found that old green book again. It's funny how it kept going missing." Sarah shrugged. "Anwyay, I read every word, cover to cover. And then a tonne of other books. I wanted to know exactly what I was up against."

"Did the book say anything about me?" Jareth asked carefully, wondering how the book had come back into her possession yet again. Really, he wanted to toss the stupid thing on a fire.

"Nope." Sarah shook her head. "Just about the Fae. It was a bit more complimentary the second time around."

"It's a magic book, Sarah." He told her, and her eyes widened. "I don't really understand what the point of it is, but if it's being nicer about my kind then I can't complain."

"Show me the glamour." She urged him, and he rolled his eyes.

"I forgot how demanding you can be, sweet thing. As you command." He took a step back and waved his hand in a small, flicking motion. In a second, the long hair and flamboyant clothing had vanished, replaced by the dark human clothes she was used to seeing him in, as well as a short haircut with a sweeping fringe.

"Woah." Sarah blinked. She reached out to touch him, as though afraid he wasn't real. She ran her hand up his neck and into his hair, scrunching her fingers lightly against his scalp. His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation, and she giggled. "That's amazing."

"Is it?" He asked, trying not to laugh at her reaction. He felt uncomfortable using the glamour now; he had spent so long in it, it was a relief to be able to be himself for once. "I don't want to pretend around you anymore, sweetness. I want to be myself."

"Nikki might make fun of you if you're wearing makeup and an enormous mullet." Sarah pointed out, trying not to giggle as he looked offended at the implication that he had such a hairstyle.

"I said around _you_ , darling. I'll use it around other people, I'd rather keep my identity secret. Too many humans knowing about the Underground would be awful; for a start, I'd get in a rather great deal of trouble."

"Alright, Clark Kent. Whatever you want." Sarah shrugged.

"Clark Kent?" He frowned in confusion, and Sarah laughed.

"How long have you lived up here and you've never heard of Superman?" Sarah asked incredulously, and he shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head.

"I didn't really watch much television." That was a lie - he watched television all the time, but he had indulged in such garbage that he would rather not share. He wondered what was happening on Days Of Our Lives - aside from Sarah, that was another aspect of human life that he rather missed.

"If we get back together-" Sarah began, but Jareth interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

"If?" He questioned sharply, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. It was hard to focus when she was so close to him. He even smelled different, she thought. Like leather and something else, something dark and smoky that she couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it was making her head spin a little.

"If we get back together," Sarah continued, ignoring his hand snaking down to grab her butt. "Where will you live?"

"I still have the lease on my flat for six more months." He shrugged, pulling her closer to him so their hips were touching. It was hard to think straight when all she wanted to do was wrap her legs around him and stop talking. "I could stay there, or I could come and go from Underground."

"Won't you get sick up here?" Sarah asked, remembering the horrible night she had spent with him in the ER. He had been so cold, so sick, and that clench of fear still stayed with her. That was the night she realised that losing him would hurt her more than anything. The night she knew that this was the man she loved. The man she wanted to spend her life with.

"No. I'm stronger than ever. The Labyrinth has regenerated at a wonderful rate, and most of my magic returned merely from being Underground. Feel my skin." He urged her with a smile.

Sarah placed a hand on his cheek; his skin was warm, just as it had been in the Labyrinth two months ago. She stroked the smooth skin gently with her fingers, and his eyes closed in pleasure. He grinned like a contented cat, and Sarah kissed him softly.

"I love you." She said against his lips, her hands running through his short hair and he groaned. "What?"

"You have no idea how much I've been longing to hear you say those words again, Sarah. How much I wanted you to say them to me when you knew exactly who I was." He whispered into her ear. "How much I've missed you."

"Show me." She whispered back, her hands trailing down his back. "Show me the real you."

In a second, he was back in his true form, her words thrilling him. She looked at him carefully for a minute, as if trying to decide whether or not she liked the look of him. He felt uneasy; what if, after all this, she decided that she couldn't be with him. He felt terrified; he was so close to getting her back that to lose her now would be agonizing.

She leaned back a little, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, as though that would stop her running away. She ran her eyes over him, taking in every change. He looked the same facially, though his nose was a little sharper than it had been before. His eyes looked even stranger, framed by those purple markings.

"Hmm." She said thoughtfully, picking up a strand of his hair. The red tips had gone, leaving just his natural blonde. She looked at him carefully, tentatively running a finger along the markings above his left eye. He gasped audibly at her touch, his fingers curling around her shoulders tightly, and she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"They're sensitive." He said, almost embarrassed by his physical reaction to the slightest graze of her fingers on his skin. "Especially when non-magical beings touch them. Particularly my soulmate."

"Soulmate?" Sarah asked, a smile tugging at her lips. He had said it before, but hearing it again made her question him. She tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered at the word. "That's a big word."

"We're bound together by fate, dearest. I'm sorry if that scares you." He said cautiously; she was so young, and had never even had a proper boyfriend before. He didn't want to frighten her off, especially when things were so delicate between them.

"It doesn't scare me, not really. I just need a little time. We need to take it slowly, I can't just forget everything you know." Sarah said, and she frowned. "I feel like I don't know you. You even talk a little differently now."

"We can spend time getting to know one another. It will be nice to be able to be myself without constantly worrying about being caught out. Or without being in crippling pain."

"I just want to know _you_. I have to admit, now I've had time to get used to it, you're pretty sexy like this." Sarah said, cocking her head to one side. He grinned wolfishly at her, curling a lock of her hair around his finger thoughtfully.

"Oh, am I?" He purred, feigning ignorance. He ran a hand up the length of her body, lightly brushing her with his fingertips. The fleeting touches were driving her crazy, and she was surprised they'd managed this much coherent conversation without devouring each other. She had dreamed of him for months, his touches, his kisses, yet she had managed to display a surprising amount of restraint. In her dreams, Sarah had always jumped on him by this point.

"You know exactly how attractive you are." Sarah said teasingly. She felt bolder with him now than she ever had before; she wondered if her subconscious had been holding her back, telling her there was something wrong. That restraint, that hesitation was gone now.

"I'm nothing compared to you, precious. So beautiful." He leaned over to kiss her, and in that moment, the tension snapped. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, lips crashing together furiously and he pulled her up so their faces were level. He was strong, stronger than any human, and he supported her weight easily. She locked her legs around his hips, gasping in surprise as he somehow took them both to her bedroom without walking. It was unexpected, but she was too caught up to protest.

Instead of being put down on the bed, Sarah found herself being pressed against the door, Jareth's hands already sliding underneath her shirt, pulling at her bra. She whimpered a little as he took her breast in his palm, his mouth still kissing her furiously. She had missed him so much, she felt as though she might drown in him.

She tightened her legs around him, and he groaned as she closed the gap between them, their hips meeting. She wanted him right now, with a desperate need that she had never felt before. He was grinding his hips against hers, the sensation delicious but not enough.

"I need you." She groaned into his ear when they broke apart, her fingers digging into his shoulders just to stay steady. She bit down on his lobe, and he shuddered.

"You've got me." He replied, his voice husky and strained. He moved to kiss her again.

"Put me down." She asked in an unsteady voice. "I can't move like this."

"Just move as you normally would." He said, moving away from her mouth and kissing down her neck. "I won't let you fall."

"I'm scared." Sarah said, realising she meant it about more than just tumbling to the ground. Jareth stopped, and looked at her carefully.

"Are you scared of me Sarah?" He asked gently, and within a second, they were lying on the bed. Sarah couldn't get used to being transported like that; it made her head spin. He sat up, and the energy shifted. He looked genuinely concerned, and Sarah backed up so she was sitting against her pillows.

"No." She said firmly, defiantly; for a moment, he was reminded of that fifteen year old girl she had been. She was so different now; for the months that he had known her, there was always something holding her back. There was fear in her that hadn't been there before. That was his fault.

"You are." Jareth pressed, and she shook her head. He exhaled in frustration. "Sarah, I can see it. I can sense it. I don't want you to be scared of me."

"Fear me, lo-" She began, parroting those words he had said to her all those years ago. They sickened him now, and hearing them come from her was a torture he couldn't stand. He had been such a fool back then, so cruel and demanding. No wonder she had left him. No wonder she was scared of him.

"No!" He interrupted her, his voice harsh. She flinched. "No, that's not who I am. That's not what I want."

"I'm sorry." Sarah said, seeing how hurt he looked. She cupped his cheek, one finger running lazily over his marking. His eyes watched her closely, trying to work her out. "I know. I know that. I think."

"You think?" Jareth asked. He hated how she could make him feel so vulnerable, so human. He was desperate to make her happy, but he was starting to doubt if he could. Now she had her memories back, would what happened in the Labyrinth hang over them, their very own sword of Damocles?

"I want to forget it, but you need to realise that I've only had these memories back for a couple months. You haven't been here to answer my questions, and it's hard not to get confused about who you really are."

"I would have been here, you should have called on me!" He said defensively. Sarah sighed. She hadn't wanted to start an argument over this.

"I know." Sarah said, defeated. "I know. I wanted to, I almost did a bunch of times. Something stopped me."

"Fear. Fear stopped you."

"That or sheer stubbornness." She said, and watched as a small smile played on his lips. "I wanted to hate you. I wanted to be mad at you for lying, but it was hard. I knew as soon as I saw you again, I'd give in."

"Give in to what?"

"You. My own desire. I don't know." She played with the ends of her hair; she hated talking about her feelings, it made her feel uncomfortable. "Can't we just make out again?"

"No, precious. As much as I would love to pin you down and take you right here, we need to discuss this."

"The first thing sounds much more fun than the second." Sarah said sullenly, and Jareth laughed. "Alright. Let's talk. One, I'm mad at you for kidnapping Toby."

"Not kidnapping. I merely did as I was bid. My duty is to take away wished away babes, and that is exactly what I did. It's a game, Sarah, one I don't always understand, but it is part of my role as Goblin King." Jareth told her. "It may not seem like it, but I do take my responsibility as monarch seriously."

"Alright, I'll give you that one." Sarah said begrudgingly. "Two, why do you have an English accent?"

"It's just the way we all speak." He shrugged. "If anything, the English have a Fae accent."

"Have you ever even been to England?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow, and he nodded.

"Yes, I lived there when I was first banished. I thought I'd fit in the most there."

"And did you?" Sarah asked, curious to imagine what Jareth had first been like. She imagined him trying to use a toaster, for some reason. It made her giggle, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yes, until they started asking me questions about things I really ought to have known but had no idea about. A thirty year old man who had never heard of The Beatles aroused a little suspicion. I opted to leave. I still had my power of Tongues, I suppose you read about that too?"

"The ability to speak and understand any language?"

"Yes. That was an innate part of me, one that didn't lessen. Just like the power to glamour, although that failed me at rather an inopportune moment, as I'm sure you recall."

Sarah blushed as she remembered the last time they had had sex, pressed against one another in the shower. It was a memory that had replayed over and over in her mind for the last two months.

"Um, yeah. I remember."

"So anyway, after leaving England I went to Germany, and a few other places. It was like I couldn't stay still, I couldn't settle anywhere. Then Alice offered me a job in New York. When I was preparing to leave, I had a dream about you. I dreamt that you were waiting for me, that you were in New York. I suppose it was more of a premonition than a dream."

"Did you make me work at Alice's bar?" Sarah asked, not liking the idea that he might have engineered her life to his advantage.

"No, that was a genuine coincidence. I could hardly believe that it was you. When I first saw you, I couldn't see your face." Sarah turned flame red as she remembered the time her top had got stuck on her head, exposing her bra. "Just your rather lovely chest. When I did see you, I felt as though I had been electrocuted. Which incidentally, has happened a few times. I wasn't very good with appliances."

"Like toasters?" Sarah asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know?" He asked, astonished.

"A hunch." Sarah shrugged. "Anyway, carry on the story."

"When I saw you, I couldn't believe it. You had changed so much, yet at the same time not at all. The feelings I had tried to deny were still there. I had waited for you for seven years, knowing that somehow I would see you again. I needed you, I needed you to love me as much as I loved you. Not with magic, not with threats."

"So you pretended to be a whole other person?" She said cynically, and he grimaced. Her words had hit him hard, and he had the decency to look guilty.

"I couldn't exactly say who I was, your memories were erased for a reason. I would be putting you at risk, as well as myself. I know it seems selfish, but I'm rather fond of my head being attached to my neck."

"What's happened to Rinat?" Sarah asked suddenly, realising she had no idea of the consequences of her time in the Labyrinth. "Is he dead?"

"No. I decided leniency was for the best, and my father agreed." Jareth said easily. "I could have killed him quite happily, just because he dared to lay his hands upon you. As it was, he made the whole thing rather more simple by just handing me my throne back, and I decided to reward him. A trip to the bog was the only punishment I gave him."

"Ew, that's a pretty bad punishment." Sarah wrinkled her nose up; now her memories were back, she could recall just how unpleasant that bog had been.

"He's grateful to be alive. I'm not sure his friends will be, if he has any left." Jareth shrugged, a wicked grin on his face. He had hated Rinat, but his foolishness was the reason he had the throne back, and for that Jareth was grateful.

"Was your father mad at you? Or me?" Sarah asked, wondering what had happened after she had left. She'd been focused on her own misery, rather than the consequences of Jareth being King again.

"No. To the contrary. All the problems are solved now, and the Underground is a much more stable place as a result. I'm something of a hero."

"Even though it all went wrong because they took you off the throne in the first place?"

"They try not to mention that." Jareth shrugged. "I must admit, it feels strange being here, talking to you about my life with no need for secrets or disguises."

"Good strange or bad strange?"

"Oh, good strange of course."

"There's something that's bothering me." Sarah said, twisting her fingers together anxiously. "If we're together, aren't I just going to die way before you? If you even die at all."

"Oh, I expect I'll expire eventually, dearest. There's that "if" word again, I really don't like that."

"Answer the question." Sarah pressed him, and he looked thoughtful for a moment.

"There are certain ways you could become like me, if you wish." He said cautiously, every word slow and deliberate.

"Now you're saying 'if'." Sarah pointed out, and he smiled.

"I suppose I am. It would be a big step, becoming like me. It is possible, certainly. A great many Fae have fallen for humans and tried to turn them. Do you remember in the book?"

"Yes. It was a disaster, wasn't it? It was banned?" She questioned him, and he nodded.

"It was banned." Jareth agreed. "However, should we wish it, I would be able to get special dispensation from my father to turn you. He is so pleased with me I think he would grant me anything."

"What would I have to do?"

"Nothing, it is an incantation. I would do it. Not until you were ready, of course. It would freeze you in time. Perhaps we could wait until you look a little older. I would look the same as I do now, it would be nice if we matched in age, perhaps."

"We'd have to wait sixteen years?" Sarah asked incredulously, and he laughed at her impatience. She was hard to keep up with, one minute uncertain whether or not they would get back together, the next outraged that she would have to wait to become Fae. Honestly, this woman had more twists and turns than the Labyrinth.

"Alright, not exactly the same age then. Besides, this is all hypothetical. You may decide you simply can't stand me like this." He tried to make it sound like a joke, but the words fell flat. Sarah looked at him carefully.

"You're afraid too." Sarah said softly, reaching out to hold his hand. He gripped it tightly, staring down at their entwined fingers. "It'll be okay."

"Will it?" He asked, looking up at her. "I fucked everything up, Sarah. I spent those months apart from you trying to figure out a way to fix everything, but I couldn't think of any way. You might think you can forgive me, but what if you can't? I deceived you in a huge way."

"Maybe. But maybe I don't want to run away anymore. Maybe I need to grow up a little."

"I love you, darling." He said earnestly, reaching out to touch her cheek. She leaned forwards and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her gently, so sweetly she thought she might cry.

"I love you too." She told him when they broke apart. She looked him in the eyes, and smiled. "Now, quit stalling and make love to me."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the little wait for this, I was a bit stuck, then on Friday me and my friend played the Labyrinth drinking game and everything's been a little delicate since then (read: I was so hungover I couldn't speak let alone write). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sort of edging towards finishing it in the next chapter, because I'm running short on ideas. But anyway, please review!  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**Warning for smut smut smut.**

* * *

"How old are you?" Sarah asked lazily, as she traced circles on his bare chest. They lay together, naked under the covers, thoroughly contented. It was early on Sunday morning, and they had been entirely naked for the past day. Sarah didn't plan on getting dressed any time soon.

"Do you really want to know?" He drawled, pressing a kiss to her damp forehead. "You were bad enough when you thought I was thirty seven."

"I mean, I know you're not thirty seven now, so you may as well tell me." Sarah pressed him, curious to know more about him. She barely knew anything of his life, and starting with his age seemed like the best bet.

"Guess." He said, baring his teeth in a grin. Sarah pretended to think for a moment.

"A hundred?" She knew this guess was far too low, but she thought she'd be polite and start at the lower end of the scale.

"Older." He said with a laugh. "When I was one hundred I looked about thirteen."

"Five hundred?"

"Older."

"Three thousand?" Sarah guessed, and Jareth shifted uncomfortably.

"Older." He said reluctantly, and Sarah sighed.

"You may as well just tell me."

"Ten thousand." He said hesitantly, and he looked as though admitting this was physically painful.

"You're ten thousand years old?" Sarah blinked. Even though she knew the Fae were essentially immortal, the fact that this man she was with was older than most civilizations freaked her out just a little.

"Give or take a century or two. Is that a problem?" He asked lightly, though when Sarah looked at him she could see he looked genuinely worried.

"No." Sarah said. "I'm not that surprised. You know a lot of tricks."

"Tricks?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, um, you must be pretty experienced." She said, immediately regretting her words. Was she that insecure that she couldn't help but compare herself to the other lovers he must surely have had during his long life?

"Are we talking about sexual experience or life experience Sarah?" He asked her, his voice teasing. She felt ridiculous, like she wanted the ground to swallow her up.

"Sex." Sarah said sheepishly, feeling her face turn hot.

"You're not feeling insecure by any chance, love?" He asked gently, his hand brushing down her face.

"A little." She admitted. "You make me feel so amazing, I must be terrible compared to Fae women."

He kissed her fiercely, and Sarah was a little taken aback at his force. His tongue crashed against hers, his hands tangled in her hair. She tried to match him, breathless with desire. He pulled back from her, and the look in his eyes made her feel like she was on fire. She had never seen such love, such pure lust in someone's face, and it made her weak.

"Never say that." He told her, his voice trembling a little. He leant forwards so their noses were touching, and he clasped either side of her face. "Never, ever say that."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Jareth told her. "You haven't offended me. You just underestimate yourself, darling, and that is a crime. You are the most amazing woman I have ever known, and I don't think that you see it in yourself.

"I'm not going to lie, I've had my fair share of lovers. More than my fair share, perhaps. But I've been alone my whole life. I've never been engaged, or even with the same woman for more than a few weeks." He shrugged, pulling Sarah in closer to him. "I should probably tell you that the Fae don't have the same moral standards as humans."

"Like what?" Sarah knew as much from her research, but she was curious to hear about it from him.

"Oh, several things. We're fairly lax on our views on lying, drinking, monogamy. Just a few examples." He said lightly, and Sarah felt her heart sink.

"Oh." Sarah said, her voice so small she could hardly hear it herself. Jareth looked down at her, his hand firmly on the small of her back. She bit her lip nervously, and he held a finger to her mouth, trying to get her to stop.

"Obviously I will be faithful to you, Sarah." He said sharply, regretting ever mentioning it. "Do you think I would throw us away for a quick shag with someone I don't care about?"

"I guess not." Sarah shrugged, and he tightened his hold on her.

"I meant it, precious. You are my soulmate. I've waited my whole life for you, I would never throw us away. I almost lost you, I would never do anything that would risk losing you again."

"I know." She said softly. "I know."

He kissed her softly, and flinched as she gasped and jumped out of bed.

"What?!" He said in alarm, watching as she frantically threw her robe around her. "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered I have a date!" Sarah said in a panic, and Jareth narrowed his eyes.

"What, and you need to get ready?" He asked drily, and Sarah tutted at him.

"No, I need to call the guy and cancel, obviously." She said, wondering why she was bothering to put a robe on when the apartment was empty.

"If you would be so kind." He said sarcastically, and Sarah eyed him closely.

"You're jealous." She said, a grin spreading over her face. He shook his head.

"No." He said firmly. "I don't get jealous."

"You are!" She said gleefully. "You're jealous!"

"Why would I be jealous that you arranged a date with a human whilst I was sitting in my castle missing you like mad?" He said, and she felt guilty for a split second. This could so easily descend into another argument.

"Don't." She said, her voice thick. "Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not. Any loneliness on my part was entirely my own fault, I know." He said softly, walking to her. He was completely naked, and Sarah tried to keep her eyes on his face. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sarah smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. She leaned against his shoulder, enjoying the way his long hair tickled her cheek.

"Let me rephrase it. I would very much appreciate it if you would cancel your date." He said regally, and Sarah laughed.

"I was on my way to cancel it anyway." Sarah pointed out, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest. She couldn't get over how warm his skin was now, and she found herself wanting to touch him constantly. "I only said yes in some kind of useless attempt to forget about _you._ " She jabbed him in the chest, and he laughed.

"You'd never be able to forget about me, Sarah. I'm far too attractive."

She kissed him again, and before long she was pressed against the door as he untied her robe, his hands wandering to her chest. She pulled away, shaking her head.

"I have to call-"

"Do it later." He whispered into her ear, just as the robe fell open. "I can think of a few more tricks I have to show you."

"Like what?"

"Like this." He said softly, trailing his index finger down from her collarbone to her breast. She shuddered, her eyes fluttering shut. It felt as though her skin was on fire, a trial of pure pleasure left in Jareth's path.

"What was that?" She asked huskily. She had never felt a sensation like that - and she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like just a little lower down.

"Magic." He whispered, biting her ear. "There are things I can do with my powers that would leave you weak, precious."

"Oh really?" She asked breathlessly, tenacious to the last. "I think you're going to have to prove it."

"When will you stop being so stubborn?" He asked her, as his hand drifted lower. Every inch of skin he brushed was struck by pleasure, like an electrical current surging through her body. She felt her knees weaken and her body begin to tremble as his hand reached the most intimate part of her. He paused, his hand pressed flat against her, and she whimpered. He looked at her in triumph. "Is there a problem, love?"

"Don't stop." She whined, biting the inside of her lip just to stop herself from crying out. It was torturous, he wouldn't touch her and finish what he'd started. She needed more, the sensations she had felt were so intense that it almost hurt. He was smirking, and she frowned. He loved to tease her, and even though she hated to admit it, it was actually pretty hot.

"As you demand."

As he spoke, Sarah felt a jolt of pleasure so intense that she thought she might actually black out. She groaned, wondering what exactly it was that Jareth was doing to her - and if it would kill her. She was sure such feelings must be fatal. He'd touched her once, and she could already feel that familiar tension coiling within her.

His hand remained there, and whatever he was doing continued. She slumped helplessly against him as his hand worked, edging her closer and closer to completion. Her head span, any coherent thought replaced with involuntary moans. As he slipped one finger inside of her, she grabbed on to his shoulders just to steady herself.

"So wet for me." Jareth purred in her ear as he moved in and out of her slowly, painfully slowly. She was close, so close. He moved his finger faster, and Sarah whimpered, her breaths coming in sharp pants. "And so very tight. Come for me, precious. Let me feel you."

His words combined with the sensation of his magic inside of her finished her, and she came with a guttural scream that Jareth was sure would fill his fantasies for the rest of his life. Her fingers clung to his shoulders, nails biting into his skin so hard that she drew blood. He didn't move his hand, slowing his movements down until she had completely finished, sagging down against him.

"Okay." She said breathlessly after a moment, and he removed his finger and grinned at her. "Okay, I believe you. What the hell was that?"

"Just a little magic concentrated in my index finger." He held up the finger of his other hand, and Sarah watched through lidded eyes as his digit glowed gold.

"Well fuck me." She said in astonishment, reaching out to touch the tip of his finger. There was a visible spark, and she jumped back. Jareth was just watching her, an amused grin playing on his lips.

"I was rather hoping that would happen next." He teased, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. He peppered her neck with kisses, and ran his fingers up her spine gently - though thankfully without the magic. She didn't think she could take any more of that.

"I don't have any tricks." Sarah said, her voice still shaky.

"Oh, I'm sure I can teach you a few darling."

"Actually," Sarah said thoughtfully. "There might be one trick."

Jareth raised an eyebrow as Sarah kissed his neck, her hand lightly brushing down his torso. She could feel his hand dig into the skin on her back, his breath hitching in her ear. He was usually the one doing all the touching, and suddenly Sarah felt instilled with a new confidence. She could make a King weaken just with a few touches - he loved her, and that was enough.

She moved her head lower, gently biting his collar bone as her hand snaked lower. She kissed her way down his torso, and stopped just above his hips. She looked up at him, and was surprised to see his eyes were firmly shut, his lower lip caught between his teeth.

She kissed the tip of him, enjoying the sharp hiss of breath as he inhaled. She slowly ran her tongue over him, and he groaned. She had never done this before, and seeing him tremble made her wonder why. It sent sparks of pleasure straight through her. She took him into her mouth, and he grabbed at her hair to steady himself. She pulled back, looking up at him innocently.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?"

"Don't say that." He said in a strangled voice. He had one arm stretched out to steady himself on the door frame, and Sarah could swear she just heard the wood splinter under the force of his grip. "I'm never going to last if you start saying things like that."

Sarah said nothing in response; instead, she returned to what she had been doing. After a few minutes, and several expletives from Jareth, he pulled her head back.

"You have to stop." He said breathlessly, pulling her to her feet.

"Why?" She asked, biting her lip. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Wrong? No." He let out a shaky laugh. "But I don't want this to be over just yet, darling. I want to be inside of you."

"Oh."

He kissed her firmly, pulling her up by her legs and onto his hips. He pressed her back against the door. She felt that familiar burn of magic again as his finger traced from her collar bone down to her core.

"Sarah?" A voice called out, and Jareth muttured under his breath. "Are you in?"

"Shit!" Sarah whispered. She looked at Jareth carefully. "Can you take us somewhere else? Like, right now?"

"Close your eyes." He told her in a hushed voice, and Sarah did as she was told, squeezing her eyes shut. Still entwined, and still completely naked, she felt a breeze through her hair. When she opened her eyes, they weren't where she had expected.

"This is your Underground bedroom, I assume." She said, taking in the grand room. Tapestries lined the walls, a grand four poster bed in the middle of the room. There were enormous windows on one wall, and from there she could see the Labyrinth. She thought she would be afraid of being here, but somehow it felt right. Like home.

"Oh fuck." Jareth looked around. "I meant to take you to my flat. I'm sorry precious, we can go, I'll take you back Above."

"No." Sarah said, pushing him back onto his enormous four poster bed. "Let's stay here. I'm not going to die, am I?"

"No, I just thought-"

"Don't think." She climbed on top of him and lowered herself onto him. He hissed, his eyes fluttering shut. A major perk of having a magic boyfriend was that birth control was apparently as easy as reciting an incantation, which he had done yesterday.

"I love you." He said, his hands digging into her hips as she moved against him. "So much."

"I love you." She reached down and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. With his free hand, he reached over and Sarah saw a flash of gold before feeling his finger on her clit. She screamed his name, shuddering against him as she came.

"Oh, Sarah." He groaned, flipping them over and driving into her with force as he joined her in oblivion. He took her earlobe between his teeth, biting down. As she moaned, he whispered into her ear. "My Queen."

After a moment, he rolled off her, kissing her cheek softly.

"That finger thing is amazing." She panted, her face shining with sweat and a rosy glow spreading from her cheeks to her chest. He looked at her with satisfaction, remarking at how beautiful she was.

"I was rather fond of your trick too." He said with a smile, cuddling into her. "I'm sorry for bringing you Underground, I wanted to wait a while. It was honestly an accident."

"You called me your Queen." Sarah said softly, running her fingers through his long blonde tresses. "What did you mean?"

"What do you think I meant?"

"No more games, Jareth." She said sternly. "Just tell me what you meant."

"I was hoping, in a few years when the time is right, that you might agree to become my wife. And being a King, becoming my wife would mean being my Queen."

"Are you proposing?" Sarah giggled.

"I'm not sure." He admitted. "I always hoped I'd be rather more romantic than this. Naked and post-orgasm isn't the most romantic story to tell our grandchildren."

"That's true. When you do propose, just so you know, I like flowers."

"Flowers." Jareth said, kissing the tip of her nose. "I can do flowers."

* * *

"Hello cousin." Alice jumped at the sound of Jareth's voice, and dropped a bottle on the floor. Just as it was about to smash, Jareth waved his hand. It stopped in thin air, and Alice bent down to pick it up.

"Thanks." She said, placing it on the counter. "I thought you'd be too busy having sex to come and see me."

"I was." He shrugged, and Alice rolled her eyes. "However, Sarah had things to do and I have business with you."

"Talking like a King again." Alice said with a grin. She eyed him up and down. "You look much better. Who'd have thought a shag was all you needed to cheer yourself up?"

"I have her back. That's what I needed."

"She's forgiven you then?"

"I think so. You helped me greatly, Alice. Not just with Sarah, but during my banishment. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You're family." Alice shrugged. "I'd never leave you out in the cold."

"Others would. Others did. You were always there, and I am truly thankful."

"Don't mention it." Alice said, never one for sentimentality.

"I have spoken with my father." Jareth told her, and she looked up curiously. "He has decided it is past time your banishment ended."

"He decided? Or you did?" Alice said, eyebrow raised. "I don't need your pity, cousin. I'm doing just fine up here."

"I may have had a word with him. It is not pity, Alice. It is a way to say thank you. You have waited long enough. Don't you want to go home?"

"That isn't my home." She said bitterly, turning away from him and busying herself with arranging glasses. "They tossed me out as soon as they could, and I had to make my own way. Thank you for your generosity, your Highness, but I refuse your pardon."

"Alice." He said warningly. "Don't be like this."

"Like what? Just because I'm not jumping at the chance to go back there? I'm not your subject, Jareth, and you can't tell me what to do. I'm not going back and that's that."

"Well, if you change your mind, you are permitted Underground from here on out. You should find your magic becomes stronger too. Not as it used to be, but certainly a little more effective. Perhaps in a few years you will change your mind. After all, I'd like you to be present at my wedding."

Alice paused.

"Have you asked Sarah to marry you?" She asked carefully. "You've only been back together like a day."

"Not yet. I will, in time. I've waited long enough, a little more won't kill me." Jareth said, thinking of Sarah's reaction when he had asked her the previous day. They had stayed Underground until that morning. He had been worried that it would be too much for Sarah, but if anything she seemed even more radiant than usual.

"I will be at your wedding." She said reluctantly. "That's all. And then maybe the naming ceremonies for your children."

"Now who's rushing things?" Jareth asked with a raised eyebrow, and Alice shrugged indifferently.

"I assume you'll turn her?" Alice asked, shrugging indifferently.

"Eventually. Not yet. I want her to have a normal life, finish college, all of that. I'm awfully good at pretending to be human, what's the harm in keeping up the pretense for a few more years?"

"You're so happy, I think I preferred you when you were a grumpy old bastard." Alice said, trying not to laugh. "I'm glad though. Everything's worked out for you."

"I am truly sorry the same couldn't happen for you." Jareth said, and watched as Alice visibly stiffened. She never liked discussing what had happened all those years ago.

"Well, that was a long time ago. I've made my peace with it. I will not make my peace with those who caused the problems. I only talk to you because for some reason I quite like you."

"You're not so bad yourself." He chuckled, ruffling his cousin's short hair and ignoring the steam rising off of her.

* * *

"How was Alice?" Sarah asked as they sat on the couch. She sitting with her legs slung over his lap as he absentmindedly rubbed her feet.

"Fine." Jareth said, watching the television.

"Just fine?"

"Yes, fine."

"Can I ask you something?" Sarah asked, moving closer to him and leaning on his shoulder.

"Anything, precious."

"Why does Alice live up here? Was she banished too?"

"Yes. Don't mention it to her, for God's sake. She gets incredibly touchy about it, she wouldn't like me telling you."

"Can I ask why?"

"It's not the happiest of stories."

"Why?"

"Around five hundred years ago, Alice fell in love with a human. I forget his name, but I'm sure she has it carved into her heart. They planned to marry, and to turn him, but this was just at the time when the laws against such things began to be passed. She waited too long, and when she was caught, he was killed as punishment."

"That's awful." Sarah said in horror. "Just because she loved him?"

"Yes. She was banished Above, and stripped of the majority of her power. She's never loved another. Fae mate for life, you see. There may be problems when it comes to fidelity, but true love is just for one person."

"So Alice is going to spend the rest of her life alone?" Sarah asked, frowning. "That's horrible."

"I know." Jareth said softly, looking at Sarah. He was so lucky to have found his own happiness, and to have been granted more than one chance with this divine creature.

"What about me?" Sarah asked quietly. "I'm a human. Aren't you going to be punished?"

"You're the Labyrinth's Champion. There's something special about you, sweetness."

"Oh." Sarah said.

"I love you, precious one." Jareth told her. "You know that, don't you?"

"Of course."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the little wait. Hope this was okay (especially the lemons), it took me a while because I've been poorly and I spent a while trying to make it right. This isn't the last chapter, it'll either be one more and then an epilogue or just the epilogue. I've already started work on my next story, it's going to be a series of one shots based around a Sarah/Jareth friendship that starts when he's drunk, so keep your eyes out for that.  
**

 **Thanks for all the reviews (also annibale, I had to google that picture and was slightly disturbed by it..ew..that is definitely not what I had in mind when I mentioned the toaster!)**

 **Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

"I've never understood the concept of a graduation. The hats are baffling."

"Yeah but I get a nice swishy cape so who am I to complain?" Sarah said with a laugh. "You live in a place full of goblins and monsters and you find the idea of me wearing a hat strange?"

"You know I'm very proud of you, don't you darling?" He asked, kissing her softly. She smiled, and nodded.

"I know." She shifted uneasily. "I have no idea what I'm going to do next. I got another rejection letter this morning."

"Who from?" Jareth asked, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her to him. Sshe had spent weeks writing applications for every internship and graduate scheme she could find, and so far she'd had no luck at all. She'd been applying for regular jobs too, but they all said that she didn't have the experience they were looking for.

"That publishing house. I might be out on the street once Nikki moves to Texas. There's no way I can afford this place on my own and everyone I've interviewed seemed weird."

"Live with me." He said easily, and Sarah looked up at him. "What?"

"Where?" She asked suspiciously. The idea of living Underground was one they had discussed in passing, and whilst Sarah wasn't opposed to the idea she wasn't quite sure she was ready. They went there occasionally, usually when they wanted privacy and a little peace and quiet away from the noise of New York, but never for longer than a few hours. Sarah never ventured outside Jareth's bedroom.

"Anywhere you want." He shrugged. "I know I don't have my flat anymore, but there's always a place for you in the Goblin City, but we could get a place of our own up here."

"How would we afford that?" Sarah asked, narrowing her eyes. Jareth didn't work at the bar anymore, and never seemed to spend any money. She wondered if he even had any. "It's not like you work anymore. Does being Goblin King pay well?"

"No, but I think you'll find magic can open rather a lot of doors." He said, curling a strand of her hair around his finger. "If you don't want to, I understand. Don't forget Alice, I'm sure she'll give you a job again if you want one."

"No!" Sarah said sharply, and he raised an eyebrow. "No, I mean I do want to live with you. I really do. We spend every night together anyway, we may as well have our own place. And I'll think about asking Alice. Don't mention it just yet."

"Wonderful."

"Nothing too fancy." She said sternly; if he could use magic, they could well end up with something on Park Avenue. "Someplace like this, but one bedroom. And no hurting anyone to get it."

"Do you honestly think I would? I'll reward them in other ways for their property, just not with conventional rent."

"Alright." Sarah said warily. "Well, I suppose it's the best way to ensure we can afford something that isn't a closet under some crazy old lady's stairs."

"Only the finest closet for my love."

"Ha ha." Sarah drawled, rolling her eyes. "I'll miss this place though. I'll miss Nikki."

"It's good that she's found a job, isn't it?" Jareth asked, unsure what kind of mood Sarah was in. She had been stressed about graduating, and the future seemed to be a touchy subject. She was especially sad about the impending loss of her best friend.

"Yeah, it's good. She's just like my rock, you know?"

"What am I, chopped liver?"

"You know what I mean, babe. She's always been there for me, and now she's going away. I'm just a little sad about it all. Everything's changing."

"I'm still here." He told her fondly, nuzzling her ear. She smiled, running her hands through his long hair affectionately.

"I know. I can't believe we've been together for nearly two years. That's crazy."

"Well, a year and a half."

"Okay Mr Accuracy. A year and a half." Sarah said with a smile. "Not a bad year and a half, I have to say."

"The very best, darling." He purred into her ear, his hands running up her torso suggestively. She laughed breathlessly, bringing his face close to hers and kissing him firmly.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me come back, Alice." Sarah said gratefully as she stacked glasses. It had been two years since she first stepped foot in this place, and the bar had hardly changed at all.

Alice and Jareth were close, Sarah knew, but there had never been a great friendship between them. Sarah saw her every now and then, but there was something in Alice's eyes that made Sarah feel as though she resented her.

It had been a summer of internships, fetching coffee for people who barely even knew her name, and Sarah was so broke that it was bordering on depressing. Jareth supported her in ways that he could, but she felt like a burden. She'd put off working at the bar again, but as summer turned into autumn, she decided to suck it up and go back.

All the staff were completely different - Ella and Tina had long since moved on, and Sarah was relieved. All she wanted to do was work, get some money in her pockets and figure out where her life was headed.

There was a job option that she had certainly thought about, but not discussed properly with Jareth - Goblin Queen. He made no secret of the fact that he loved her and was certainly planning for them to spend their futures together and Sarah assumed that it would happen sooner or later.

The shift was blissfully uneventful - though incredibly busy. Sarah had forgotten just how hectic the bar could get, and without Jareth to oggle it was boring as hell. As the bar closed and the other staff left, Sarah went into the back room to change.

"Sarah, your ride home's arrived!" Alice called out as she stacked chairs. Sarah went out into the main bar and smiled as she saw Jareth, in full Underground attire, standing in the middle of the bar.

"Hey!" Sarah said, walking over and kissing him on the cheek. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"I could hardly let you brave the big bad streets of New York alone in the middle of the night, precious."

"Thanks. Let me just finish up here." Sarah said, going behind the bar and taking glasses out of the sink.

"Feel free to help, cousin." Alice called out, and Jareth laughed.

"My days of bar work are over. You wouldn't believe the mess the goblin's just caused in the throne room, I've been sweeping up feathers for the past three hours."

"What are you, a King or a maid?" Alice called out, laughing.

"Careful, one more barb and you may tip me over the edge. Sarah, can we go home? I just want to get into bed."

"Hold on, your Highness, just let me finish." Sarah laughed, carrying the stack of glasses over to the back of the bar. In the rush to finish, Sarah didn't see the box sticking out of the lower shelf, and hit it with her foot. She stumbled forward, dropping the glasses. "Shit!"

She thrust her hand forward to try and catch them before they shattered, and blinked in shock as the glasses stopped in mid air. They hung there as if suspended by wires, frozen.

"Um, guys?" Sarah asked, as Jareth and Alice turned from their conversation to look at her. "Are either of you doing that?"

"Doing what?" Alice asked with a frown.

"Come look at this." Sarah said with a shaking voice. Both Fae walked over to see what the problem was. They peered over the bar, and Sarah heard Jareth make a strange noise, almost as though someone had knocked the air out of him. Alice looked at Jareth with a raised eyebrow.

"What have you done?" She hissed in her cousin's ear, and Jareth shook his head. Words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the suspended glasses.

"Jareth?" Sarah pressed, not wanting to move. She was crouched as though about to fall, scared that if she moved the glasses would fall. She moved her hands back to make sure she wasn't touching the glasses, staring down at her palms.

"I didn't do this on purpose." Jareth said, his voice quieter than Sarah had ever heard. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"What?" Sarah asked nervously, trying to stay calm. "Didn't one of you do this?"

"No. Come, Sarah. We need to leave." Jareth commanded her, and Sarah bristled a little. She hated being told what to do, and he knew it.

"But-" Sarah began to protest, still not looking up. She expected the glasses to fall at any moment, but there they were, still in mid air. This was impossible.

"No, Sarah." Jareth's voice was hard, and Sarah jolted a little at his tone. "We need to leave now, don't defy me."

She straightened herself up, and reached out to take each glass and put it on the counter. When that was done, she walked around from the bar and straight out the door.

She marched furiously down the street, ignoring the sound of Jareth shouting her name. She squeezed her eyes shut, walking blind, feeling fury build in her. She hated being scolded like a child.

She marched down the street, practically running, turning down an alley to avoid Jareth. She was suddenly stopped as someone yanked on her bag strap. She turned, expecting to see Jareth, instead confronted with a stranger wearing a hooded sweater. He pulled at the strap again, and Sarah twisted her body away. The guy reached a hand out and smacked her round the face, knocking her backwards.

"Just give it up lady!" The stranger told her, and Sarah felt that anger at being told what to do hit her again. She was not about to mugged by some stupid ass on the street.

"No!" Sarah yelled, pushing him away with a strong hand. She thought she had barely touched him, and gasped as the would-be attacker flew backwards, landing at Jareth's feet. Sarah wondered how long he had been standing there.

"I'm going to be merciful and let you live." Jareth told the trembling specimen at his feet, watching as the man scrambled to his feet. "The goblins however - now they might not be so kind."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" The mugger asked, trying to back away from Jareth, who kept edging forwards, that same grin on his face. His pointed teeth shone in the darkness, like a lion hunting its prey.

"I'll even give you a three second head start. You might want to start running." Jareth said thoughtfully, though Sarah could see in the street light that his face was set in fury. "One."

"What the-"

"Two."

The mugger looked between Sarah and Jareth, and Sarah imagined that underneath the hood the guy looked terrified. He began to run, just as Jareth called out "three!" and a hoard of excited goblins crawled out from a nearby drain and began chasing after him.

Jareth walked over to Sarah and kissed her firmly, holding on to the sides of her face so hard that it almost hurt. He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head. She said nothing, but wrapped her arms around him.

"Sarah, why did you run off like that? You could have been seriously hurt, are you that stupid?!" He tilted her face up to his, and winced when he saw a bruise blooming on her cheek. "He hit you?! I should have killed him."

"I'm sorry, I was just angry, I wasn't thinking. I was stupid, I know I was. You didn't need to throw him around with magic like that, I could have defended myself!"

"I didn't do that. Sarah, we need to get you home and you need to stop bloody arguing with me!"

"Alright."

She closed her eyes, and Jareth took them both back to their apartment. It was a modest place, but considerably nicer than the flat she had shared with Nikki. He let go of her, and began pacing around the room, running a hand through his hair. He always did that when he was stressed, and Sarah watched him, chewing on her lip with worry.

"Look, I'm sorry alright? I was just pissed off, it was stupid."

"I'm not angry about that. Well, I am, but that's neither here nor there for now. Sarah, did you not just see what happened? The glasses, the attacker flying backwards. I didn't do those things, neither did Alice. You did."

"Me?!" Sarah asked, looking down at her hands. "How could I have done that?!"

"I've made a mistake. Something's gone wrong. You're becoming Fae, and I have done nothing to make it so. You're doing it all on your own, and that shouldn't be possible."

"How?" Sarah asked, sitting down. She didn't understand why he was so upset - it would have happened eventually, and they had been together for two years. As long as she could still see Toby, she was happy.

"I don't know."

"Is it dangerous?" Sarah asked suspiciously, and Jareth shook his head.

"Not dangerous. The biggest danger is the fact you have no control at all over what you're doing. I just don't understand it." He knelt in front of her, placing a hand on her cheek. She felt a warm glow of magic as he heeled her bruise, and he stroked the spot with his thumb gently. "You will keep surprising me, won't you darling?"

"So what does this mean? Do I have to go Underground now? I'm not going to get iron poisoning am I?"

"I'd like to take you Underground, just for a while. I need to do some reading, try to understand what is happening. I think the iron will be fine for now, changelings are less sensitive to it anyway." Jareth looked at her, a smile playing on his lips. "I just can't believe it's happening. Are you happy?"

"Yeah." Sarah smiled, ruffling the top of his hair fondly. "Yeah, I'm happy."

* * *

"So how long will we go for?" Sarah asked. It was a week after the mugging incident, and Jareth had asked her to come Underground with him. She wondered if he remembered that it was their anniversary - he hadn't mentioned it all day.

"Maybe a week?" Jareth shrugged, watching as Sarah packed a suitcase. "You really don't need to pack, love."

"I want to. It'll make this feel vaguely normal. Like I'm going on vacation instead of to my boyfriend's magical kingdom to learn about how to be a good fairy."

" _Fae._ " Jareth said firmly. "Do not call me a fairy. I can't stand those little bitches, they always bite me. And not in the fun way."

"They did the same to me too." Sarah laughed. "Okay, I think I'm all packed. I'm kind of scared."

"There's really no need. You'll just be in my kingdom as my guest, you'll only see me. To be frank, you look so delicious I'm not sure if I want to let you out of my bedroom at all."

"I've promised Hoggle and the others I'll go visit them, so you'd better let me out sometime." Sarah said, rolling her eyes and zipping up the case. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Let's go then." Jareth waved a hand over the mirror, and stepped through it. Sarah was hesitant; she had never passed through the mirror before, and it went against all of her instincts to just walk straight into a piece of glass. Jareth's hand appeared through the glass, and she took it, allowing him to lead her through.

Jareth took her suitcase and tossed it aside, scooping her up and throwing her on the bed. She screamed with laughter as he crawled towards her with a predatory grin on his face. She loved that even after two years together, that passion for each other still burned brightly. The honeymoon period might have ended, but that lust for each other hadn't dimmed at all.

"I'm never going to let you leave, you know." He growled into her ear, as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him down. He kissed her firmly, but pulled back just as she began tugging at his breeches. "Not yet, Sarah. I need to give you your anniversary present."

"I thought you'd forgotten." Sarah admitted, sitting up as he climbed off the bed and stood next to her.

"I have a rather good memory, love. Of course I didn't forget. Why do you think I asked you to come here today?"

"I thought it was a coincidence. What's my present?" Sarah asked, bouncing up and down like a child. Jareth laughed.

"Come with me. Take my hand and close your eyes."

"Why?" Sarah asked suspiciously, and Jareth rolled his eyes.

"It's a surprise, Sarah. Just play along will you? I promise you'll like it."

"Okay." Sarah said, shutting her eyes and holding out her hand.

"If you could stand up first, that would be wonderful." Jareth told her sarcastically, pulling her off the bed and to her feet. She felt a gush of air fly through her hair, and she could tell by a cool breeze that they were outside. "Keep your eyes closed."

"Where are we?" Sarah asked. She could smell something sweet, like roses but more intoxicating. The air was warm aside from the pleasant breeze washing over her skin, and she wanted to open her eyes to see exactly where they were. She hoped that he hadn't taken them into the Labyrinth - she was sure it was harmless now, but after the last time she wasn't exactly dying to go back.

"Open your eyes." Jareth whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin and making her shiver.

Sarah did as she was told. She was surprised to see that it was night here, the black sky filled with a million bright stars. Although it was nighttime, she could clearly see that they were in a beautiful garden, filled with flowers that she had never seen before.

"You said that you liked flowers." Jareth said from behind her, and Sarah turned to thank him. She stopped before any words could leave her lips, and clasped her hand over her mouth.

Jareth was down on one knee, a box containing a shimmering ring with a stone that seemed to change colour every time she looked at it.

"Sarah Williams, you are my soulmate and my chosen queen. Without you in my life, I would have nothing but emptiness. Will you marry me?" His voice was strong, but Sarah could see that his hand was trembling. She knelt before him, and took the box from his hand, placing it on the floor beside them. Wordlessly, she took his face in her hands and kissed him so passionately that he took a moment to respond. He tangled his hands in her hair, kissing her as though the world was about to end.

They broke apart, breath coming in pants, and he looked at her questioningly.

"Is that a yes?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, and she nodded vigorously.

"Yes!"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the little wait, I've been so sick but I'm finally on the mend! The next chapter will definitely be the last, it took me a while to write this one because I just wasn't sure where I was going with it, but I'm happy with it now. There might be another little wait while I figure out what the last chapter's going to be.**

 **Please review!  
**


	22. Chapter 22

"I can't believe I'm leaving." Sarah said, looking around at the empty apartment. Everything was boxed and already Underground - Jareth wasn't sure they'd get TV reception in his world, but he was willing to try if it meant he could keep up with his beloved soap operas. They had spent weeks Underground, only surfacing to inform Sarah's nearest and dearest of their engagement, and Sarah had decided that she wanted to live there full time. "This is really happening."

"It is." Jareth said, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her. She patted his hand, not taking her eyes off the empty room. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Sarah said, her voice slightly shaky. "I just can't get my head around this whole thing. I'm leaving to go live in a magical world where I'm going to be a queen. I'm just an ordinary-"

"No." Jareth said, pressing a firm kiss to her hair. "Don't start this again. You're not an ordinary anything, precious."

"Thanks." She said softly, as Jareth played with the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. She looked down with a smile. "Is the wedding all arranged? I could have helped plan it if you'd just waited."

"It will be a simple affair, love. It's all sorted anyway." Jareth shrugged. "We'll be married in my Kingdom, in a small chapel just outside of the Goblin City. That way there'll be no room for the hoards of aristocratic freeloaders who'll want to attend."

"What about up here?" Sarah asked suddenly. "We're not married up here. Oh God, there's so much to plan with a wedding I'm not sure if I have the energy."

"You sound like an old woman, love." Jareth laughed. "Well couldn't we do a quick wedding? There must be somewhere we can get married easily."

"Hmm." Sarah said with a smile, turning around and throwing her arms over his shoulders. "How do you feel about Las Vegas?"

"Why?" Jareth asked with a raised eyebrow. "Sarah, I refuse to get married by someone dressed as Elvis Presley. Let me maintain a little of my regal dignity, please darling."

"It doesn't have to be Elvis." Sarah said thoughtfully, grinning mischievously. "I bet we could find a Cher impersonator if we looked hard enough."

"Oh darling, you're trying to do me in aren't you? Kill me now and steal all my money." Jareth said dramatically, looking wounded at the suggestion of something so unlike him. Really, for someone who wore so much eyeliner and had such big hair, he was quite conservative in his tastes.

"You don't have any money." Sarah pointed out. "If you died Above all I'd have to remmeber you by would be your collection of duster coats. Now, back to the wedding. Vegs, yay or nay?"

"I suppose it would be quick. When would you want to do it?" Jareth asked, thinking that a few weeks or months would be appropriate.

"How about tonight?" Sarah asked, chewing her lip. "I'm not sure about licenses and all that, so it might not be possible. Plus I don't have a dress. Forget it, it was a stupid idea."

"Do you think I care about bureaucracy, precious?" Jareth asked her, eyebrow raised. "I'm sure you could find a dress somewhere. These are all problems that are easily fixed. I want to marry you, and waiting seems pointless. What about your family? Do you want them to be there?"

"Oh yeah." Sarah said, her face falling. "I kind of forgot about them."

"I could alter their memories so they believe they flew there." Jareth offered, and Sarah looked at him skeptically. "There would be no long term harm, I assure you. What about Nikki?"

"This small wedding's getting bigger by the second." Sarah said, rolling her eyes. "Okay, my family and Nikki."

"And Alice." Jareth said firmly. "Alice must be there too."

"Okay. So, Dad, Irene, Tobes, Nikki and Alice." Sarah said, counting off the names on her fingers. "I'm not inviting Mom. That's a small wedding right?"

"Yes. Small and intimate. Oh, the goblins will probably turn up too."

"No! No goblins in Vegas!" Sarah said firmly. "They'll be at the other wedding. This one is strictly no goblins allowed, okay?!"

"Fine. Well then, we'd better get organizing, hadn't we? I'll gather the guests and find a venue, I suppose. Do you need me to take you anywhere?"

"I can do it." Sarah reminded him; she had made great progress in her time Underground, and could travel short distances on her own. She'd never be able to get as far as her Dad's house "I'm only going to go a couple of blocks away. Can you go and get Nikki for me though first? There's no way I can get ready on my own."

"Alright precious. I'll be back shortly with your Maid of Honour."

* * *

"Run this past me again." Nikki said, drinking a huge glass of wine. She and Sarah were sat in a bar, shopping bags at their feet. "You're getting married tonight, in Vegas, and we haven't left yet. We haven't left yet because your fiancé, the wonderful Brit Jerry, is in fact some kind of magical king who will just poof us there in the blink of an eye?"

"That's pretty much it, yeah." Sarah shrugged. She had told Nikki the truth knowing that her memory would be altered later, and she felt as though saying it out loud made it all more real.

"I think I'm gonna need another." Nikki said shakily, draining her glass. "You drag me out of work for the most ridiculous reason ever. This is so great. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Sarah laughed. "I'm sorry but we wanted to get married right away and I couldn't imagine doing it without having you there."

"Damn straight." Nikki said sternly. "If you'd have gotten hitched without me I'd have had to track you down girl. Why the rush?" She looked Sarah up and down pointedly, and Sarah shook her head.

"No! Not what you're thinking. Eggs very much unfertilized." Sarah said, laughing. "I'm moving."

"Where?" Nikki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"To his world. I wanted to get married here while we're here, before we get married and I become a queen. That is possibly the weirdest sentence I've ever said by the way." She said with a laugh, draining her glass.

"This whole thing is weird. We better get you fixed up before the wedding then, Sar. Come on, let's go. The subway's a couple blocks away."

"We don't need to take the subway." Sarah said lightly, standing up and taking her bags. "Follow me."

Nikki dutifully followed Sarah out of the bar and down an alley. With a touch to the shoulder, the blonde found herself in Sarah's empty apartment, blinking in shock.

"Woah. I didn't know you could do it too! What are you?!"

"Fae." Sarah said with a grin. "I'm Fae now, just like Jareth."

"How?" Nikki asked, still looking around as though she was worried this was some kind of a trap.

Truth be told, Sarah and Jareth weren't sure how she had become Fae; he hadn't performed the incantations, and Sarah certainly hadn't done anything to try and trigger it. Jareth had spent hours buried beneath books in his enormous library, but had found nothing enlightening. There was no harm to it, so they had decided to stop worrying and just accept that that was the way things had happened.

"It's a long, complicated story. Let's just say I went to his world and it changed me. Okay?"

"Whatever you say, your Majesty."

* * *

"There you are! I was starting to think you'd disappeared on me." Alice said, as she unpacked boxes of spirits that had arrived. She was always in the bar; Jareth wondered why she continued to do something so labour intensive now her magic was more potent. She could go Underground at any time, yet she was stuck in her mortal ways.

"Sorry, we were Underground. As you saw, Sarah's transformation has begun."

"Yeah, neat trick she pulled with the glasses. How is she?" Alice asked, as she turned away from him to put a bottle of vodka on the shelf. She was irritated with him, he could tell; he did have a habit of vanishing when things were going well. He truly valued Alice, yet he knew he gave the impression that he only needed her during the bad times.

"Fine. Wonderful, in fact. Her magical control is most impressive. In fact, we're moving. And we're engaged. Sorry, I totally forgot that part. Yes, we're engaged."

"Jeez, thanks for telling me! When's the big day?"

"Tonight." Jareth said easily.

"What?" Alice asked incredulously. "What do you mean tonight?"

"Sarah wishes to get married Above first, and apparently Vegas is the best option. I've come to ask if you'd be my best woman."

"Is that a thing?" Alice asked skeptically. "That sounds like you just made it up."

"Best man, best woman, it's all Above nonsense. The point is Alice, I want you by my side when I marry Sarah." Jareth said firmly. Alice looked at him carefully, and if he hadn't known better he could have sworn her eyes filled with tears. She grinned at him, and playfully punched him in the arm.

"Don't get all sentimental on me, cousin. Fine, I'll be there. I suppose I could close this place for one night."

"Wonderful. I'll tell you what, I missed a trick not being a wedding planner when I lived Above. I've managed to get this whole thing organized in about an hour." He told Alice proudly. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Right, but how much magic did you use?" Alice asked, arms folded.

"That's not the point." He said sullenly. "I clearly have a talent for it. Anyway, must dash. Much to do. I'll come and pick you up later, about six."

* * *

"Are you ready pumpkin?" Sarah's father asked her. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Then let's get you married."

The door to the little chapel on the edge of Vegas opened, and Sarah tried not to laugh as she heard an old electronic keyboard play a robotic sounding rendition of the Bridal March.

She walked down the tiny aisle, her father grasping her arm tightly. She could swear she saw tears shine in his eyes, and she felt emotion well up in her throat. This was perfect; small, with just the people she loved most in the world. She was wearing a simple white dress, one that wasn't a wedding dress at all, and carried a bunch of roses she'd found in a florist. It was simple, but she couldn't be happier.

Jareth waited for her underneath an arch of roses, fake of course, dressed in a rather nice grey suit, his glamour firmly in place. Sarah burst out laughing as she realised he was standing in front of a man dressed as Elvis, complete with a vicar's dog collar. Two kings standing together. Jareth grinned at her, kissing her on the cheek as she stood beside him. Alice was on his other side, watching passively. Sarah could never quite read her, but she was glad she was here all the same.

In the blink of an eye, the vows were said and the deed was done.

Hours later, after everyone had been dispatched home and had their memories appropriately altered, Sarah lay naked in Jareth's bed. The Goblin City didn't feel like home yet, but Jareth's arms certainly did.

"My wife." He said breathlessly, pressing a kiss to her damp forehead. "You're my wife."

"As long as that Elvis was properly ordained, yes I am." She grinned, playing with the fine hair on his chest. She stared down at the gold band nestled under her engagement ring. "Sarah King."

"Above, yes. I can't wait until we have our wedding here, our proper wedding. Queen Sarah sounds much more grand than Sarah King."

"If I'm Queen Sarah, does that mean I get to tell people what to do?" Sarah asked, a gleeful expression on her face. She waved her hand and a glass of water appeared in it. She took a long drink, and Jareth stared at her incredulously. She lowered the glass and looked at him. "What?"

"I just can't believe how much you can do in a matter of weeks. It's odd."

"Can we stop talking about it?" Sarah asked, waving a hand and making the water vanish. She lay back down beside him, running a hand lazily from his collar bone down to his pelvis. He groaned at her teasing touches, and she smiled. "I can't wait until I learn how to do that finger thing. I'm going to drive you crazy."

"I'm not teaching you how to do that. It took me years to perfect, and I don't trust you with it. With great power comes great responsibility, precious. You drive me crazy already, I don't think we need to add magically enhanced digits to the equation."

"Spoil sport." Sarah said with a laugh. She reached up to kiss him, then froze. Something felt different; the air had shifted somehow. She looked up at Jareth questionigly. His eyes were screwed shut, and he was frowning. "What?"

"You'd think I could have one bloody moment of peace on my wedding night." He groaned, before sitting up and starting to get dressed. He shoved his feet into his trousers angrily, muttering under his breath. Sarah was about to ask him what he was talking about, when a voice rang through their bedroom.

"I wish the Goblin King would take you away right now!"

"I'll be back shortly." He said curtly, before vanishing. He wasn't wearing the clothes Sarah had seen him in all those years ago, and she hoped he'd change before bursting in on whatever poor soul had just wished him away. There wasn't anything scary about a man wearing just tight trousers and nothing else. Actually, Sarah thought with a giggle, maybe that was kind of scary.

Sarah got dressed and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to return. Without a word, he appeared before her - a chubby little baby resting on his hip. The child looked about a year old, and was playing happily with Jareth's long hair.

"What happened?"

"The mother chose her dreams." Jareth shrugged. "The babe will be adopted to a Fae family."

"Not turned into a goblin?" Sarah asked, reaching out to lightly pinch the baby's cheek. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl. Daisy." Jareth said, trying to wrestle his amulet away from the child. She dropped it with a giggle, and resumed tugging on his hair so hard he thought she would tear it out. "And no, not a goblin. I thought we'd discussed this. I've got enough bloody goblins to deal with without creating more."

"She's adorable. Are you taking her away now?" Sarah asked softly, pulling a silly face to try and make the little girl laugh.

"In a moment. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I was, that's all." He said softly. "I didn't want you to think I'd abandoned you on our wedding night."

"Let me hold her for a second." Sarah said, arms outstretched. Jareth handed the baby to her, untangling his hair from the baby's fat little fist with a grimace. "Hello Daisy. Oh, aren't you adorable?"

The baby gurgled up at her with a gummy smile. Sarah looked at the baby, and felt something she didn't quite understand. Longing, perhaps. She took a deep breath, and looked up at her husband. He was observing the pair with a knowing smile, his arms folded across his chest. She bit her lip nervously.

"Jareth, do you think maybe we can try-"

"Yes." He said instantly, not letting her finish her sentence. "Yes, we can try for a baby."

"How did you know that was what I was going to say?" Sarah asked wryly, pressing a kiss to the baby girl's blonde hair. "I could have said anything."

"There's a look in your eye. I have to admit, I'm feeling rather broody myself." Jareth said with a laugh. He watched as Sarah rocked the babe to sleep, singing a lullaby under her breath. She was wonderful with children, and Jareth could already picture her with their own children. It was a blissful thought. "I should take her now, darling. Her family await her arrival."

"They'll be nice to her, right?" Sarah asked anxiously as she handed the sleeping infant to her husband. "I don't want her growing up with people who'll be mean to her."

"I assure you darling, they'll be kind to her. You can see her again if you wish. The family are distantly related to me, I know them well."

"Okay." Sarah said, her mouth sagging down at the corners. "Well, goodbye Daisy."

"I'll see you in a few hours, alright precious? Try and get some sleep." He kissed her gently, running a hand through her hair. "I love you."

"I love you." Sarah said with a smile. She watched as he and the baby vanished. She looked down at her left hand with a grin. When she'd woken up this morning, she had no idea that she'd be going to sleep a married woman with plans for a family of her own. Life really was funny sometimes.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay I am so sorry but I keep changing my mind about when the last chapter is..! I'm pretty sure it'll be the next one. I've brought it all to a pretty natural conclusion so we've just got to tie a couple of loose ends up and then we're done. Thanks for all your support! Please review!  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks so much for being patient. And nope, still not the end. Warning for sexual content.**

* * *

"I look ridiculous." Sarah moaned, staring down at the enormous dress Jareth had insisted she wear. She was having a fitting before their wedding, and Jareth had commanded the goblins helping her leave. He stood in front of her, hand on his chin thoughtfully.

The gown that made her look so ridiculous was about three feet wide, nipped in at the waist but flaring out enormously at the hips, in a hideous greeny brown colour that made Sarah look as though she'd just emerged from a swamp. The chest was square and low cut, and Sarah felt altogether too exposed. The sleeves were so long her hands didn't even peek out at the ends. She looked like a child wearing someone else's clothes.

"Not ridiculous. It is the ceremonial robe, Sarah. My mother wore it, and my father's mother before her and so on and so on, bla bla bla. I'll admit it is not the most flattering of garments, but tradition commands it." He looked over her approvingly. "I think you look rather nice. I've got you another gown for after the ceremony, there is no way in hell that I am taking my mother's wedding dress off you on our wedding night."

"This was your mother's?" Sarah asked, looking down at the vast swathes of material drowning her body. "That's sweet."

"Mmm." Jareth said indifferently. The subject of his mother was a sore one, and Sarah could see his lips form a thin line as they always did when he was stressed.

"Is your father here?" Sarah asked, biting her lip. The wedding was the following morning, and Jareth had told her that the guests had started arriving. It was customary that the bride be kept away from the guests (and the groom, but Jareth had paid no mind to that) until the wedding itself, and Sarah was relieved.

"He is, unfortunately. I doubt he'll hang around, he'll look you over, watch the ceremony and then piss off back to where he came from if all goes to plan." Jareth said bitterly. He was fiddling with the hem of his gloves, picking at a loose thread. He was clearly stressed, and Sarah watched him anxiously.

"You really don't like your dad, do you?" Sarah asked, frowning. "You've never really talked about him."

"I'm not starting now." Jareth said firmly. "Do you want to try on your other gown? I'm sure that will be much more pleasant. I had it designed specially for you."

"It better not be that white puffy thing from when I was fifteen." Sarah warned him, the thought of being a human marshmallow in front of thousands of alluring Fae one that filled her with dread.

"Oh." He said softly, frowning deeply and she glared at him. "Kidding, kidding. No, as enchanting as you looked in that, I thought you should have something a little more mature. Take that off."

Sarah shrugged the loose fitting dress off, thankful that it wasn't tighter. Jareth watched her with lust filled eyes as it pooled on the floor and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Stop looking at me like that." She told him warningly. "We don't have time for any of your shenanigans today."

"My shenanigans?" He asked innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Now, the other dress."

Jareth turned to get the second gown, presenting Sarah with a beautiful dress in a rich purple. She reached out to touch the material, a raw silk that was both soft and rough underneath her fingertips. Jareth had no idea how to help her dress properly - he was more used to removing gowns than putting them on.

"I'm going to get one of the seamstresses, I'll ruin it." Jareth said with a shrug.

"Can't you just use magic?" Sarah asked, frowning. "Don't go."

"I'll be back when you're dressed." Jareth chuckled, kissing her gently. He ran a gloved hand from her shoulder blade down to her rear, giving her behind a playful squeeze. She squealed, pushing him away and looking at the door, worried they'd be caught. "I'm pleased you can't get enough of me. It certainly bodes well for the wedding night."

"Hmm, you're pretty tolerable I suppose. Go on then, get someone to help me. I can't believe we've left everything to the last minute. We should have done this weeks ago. Instead we've pretty much spent the whole time I've been underground in bed."

"I'm trying to find a problem with that precious, but I can't. The wedding is all planned, the dresses were being made. We've had bigger priorities, like finding out if my bed is strong enough to withstand-"

"Alright, I get it." She interrupted with a laugh. "I don't think our experiments were very scientific. Go on, get someone in then."

Jareth opened the door and signaled to someone Sarah couldn't see, and one of the goblins Sarah had seen previously ran in. She was a chubby little thing called Ril, all long fingers and wild hair. She was wearing an incredibly long tape measure around her neck and kept tripping up on the ends.

"Help the lady into the second dress." Jareth said firmly. Sarah looked at him sharply. "Please."

"Yes yer majesty." Ril said with a little bow. Sarah let her dress her, an awkward silence filling the room until at last she was wearing the rather complicated gown. "Is my lady satisfied?"

"It's beautiful." Sarah said breathlessly, looking at her reflection. The rich purple made her skin look as though she was glowing, the long sleeves slim and close fitting to her arms. It was pure elegance, none of the puffiness of that dress she had worn in her youth. This one showed off every curve, clinging to her torso like a glove. The skirt fanned out, skimming her hips and pooling on the floor. "You designed this? Really?"

"He did, my lady. He 'anded me the sketches 'imself." Ril told her with an excited smile. "Shall I leave you two?"

"Please." Jareth said, eyeing his bride hungrily. Ril bowed and rushed out of the room. As soon as the goblin was gone, Jareth advanced on his wife. "You really do look exquisite, Sarah. So beautiful."

"Isn't there some superstition about not seeing the dress before the wedding?" Sarah asked, smiling as he held her tightly. "The surprise is pretty much ruined. You're going to be sick of the sight of me."

"Never." He said huskily, nipping the flesh beneath her ear. "I will never tire of you."

"Good." Sarah said with a smile, still admiring her reflection in the mirror. "I can't believe how gorgeous this is. Too gorgeous for me."

"Nothing could ever be beautiful enough for you, darling. This is a big adjustment for you, I know."

"Mmm, just a tad." Sarah said with a laugh. "From struggling college graduate to Queen in a few months, I can't quite get my head around it."

"You have a few thousand years to get used to it, love." Jareth said with a chuckle.

"Mmm, I guess I do. I can't undo the back, you'll have to help me." Sarah said, turning around. As he undid the laces, his hand trailed down, catching her waist and pulling her towards him. Once the dress had been discarded, he buried his face in her neck, peppering the delicate skin with hot, open mouthed kisses. She laughed breathlessly, trying to free herself from his grip. "Jareth! You can't distract me, you're meant to be helping me."

"I _am_ helping you. Weddings are stressful, this will _relieve_ our stress." Jareth said in between kisses, his hands busy unclasping her bra.

"We're in a normal room, we'll get caught." Sarah protested halfheartedly, and Jareth chuckled behind her.

"And what? I'm the King, what do I care if some goblin catches me making love to my bride the night before our wedding?" Jareth asked her, trailing a finger up her spine. She shuddered, her hands reaching out to grasp anything to steady herself. The chair one goblin had been using as a ladder was still there, and she curled her fingers around the back to try and stay upright.

"That's a good point." Sarah panted, her knuckles turning white. The wood began to splinter under her grip; she suddenly possessed a great deal of strength, and she had no idea how to keep it under control. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and he reveled in it. "Still, maybe we should.."

"What?" He asked, turning her around and pressing her to him. She was incredibly conscious of the fact she was almost naked, whilst he was fully dressed. "Stop?"

"No." Sarah said with a smile. "Not stop. Just go to our bedroom."

"That will take too long." Jareth whined, trailing his hand down from her breasts to her hips. "I want you _now_."

"You are the most impatient man I've ever met." Sarah told him, tipping his chin up and looking him in the eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her, tutting.

"Impatient? Darling, I played the long game to get you, won't you forgive me for wanting you every second of every day?" He whispered in her ear, fingers dancing across the delicate spot behind her ear that always sent her crazy.

Sarah answered him by leaning forward and catching his mouth in a fierce kiss, her hands in his hair. Wordlessly, he placed his hands under her thighs, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around him. She squeaked in surprise as he pushed her against the wall, his kisses increasing in intensity.

She shuddered as his hands pushed her underwear aside, stroking her teasingly. She hissed as his fingers found the perfect spot, and she grabbed at his shoulders to stop her falling over.

"Too hard, love." Jareth groaned, trying to shrug off her iron grip. "As much as I love it a little rough I'd prefer if you didn't break my collar bone before our wedding."

As though to test her resolve, Sarah felt Jareth's familiar trick, his finger glowing gold between them. She screamed, her eyes clamping shut as a sharp sting of pleasure shot through her. Jareth chuckled throatily, and Sarah wondered if that was revenge for hurting his shoulders.

"Fuck me now." Sarah begged him breathlessly. Jareth groaned at her coarsely worded demand, burying his face in her neck. Just as he was fumbling with the fastenings of his trousers, there was a knock on the door. His head shot up, eyes narrowed and a murderous expression on his face.

"Your Highness, the High King wishes to see you." A voice echoed through the door, and Jareth growled furiously. Sarah unwrapped herself from him in a panic, grabbing her usual clothes to try and cover herself.

"He won't come in here." Jareth muttered, leaning against the wall as he tried to calm down. "For pity's sake, his timing is impeccable. I miss being an exile in disgrace, nobody gave a damn about talking to me then. Suddenly now I'm Goblin King again every sod wants to talk to me. I don't get a second of peace alone with my beautiful wife."

"I'll see you later." Sarah pointed out, pulling on her jeans. "It isn't the end of the world. Just go see your dad and then come back, I'll be waiting for you in our room."

"I'll be as quick as I can then." He told her with a sly grin, pulling her to him and holding her close. He placed a soft kiss on her hair, one hand rubbing her bare back. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too. I'm excited about tomorrow. Kind of. I'm also pretty damn scared but let's ignore that." Sarah said with a nervous laugh, still clinging on to him. She played with the ends of his hair, braiding a few loose strands.

"You'll be fine. I'll keep you by my side the whole time, and Alice will be there too. And your little friends of course." Jareth said, a little stiffly Sarah thought. She knew he wasn't particularly keen on the idea of having the 'band of misfits' (as he'd called them when she'd suggested inviting them) at the wedding, but once Sarah pointed out that Hoggle had been a loyal friend to him when the Fae abandoned him Jareth had agreed that they should be there.

"Thank you for inviting them." Sarah said, rubbing her face against his neck.

"You should have friends there. Lord knows I don't have many myself, but protocol demands every Tom, Dick and Harry who calls themselves aristocracy should attend."

"Will they be able to tell I'm Fae?"

"I don't know." Jareth said thoughtfully, stepping back to look at her. "You have no outward signs, and you seem different to the rest of us somehow. We'll have to see. Get changed, I'll escort you to your chambers before I go and face the tyrant."

"You suit being a king." Sarah said, pulling on her clothes. "You're a natural."

"Don't say that. Some days I rather miss our old life. My old life. It was certainly quieter."

* * *

Jareth walked to the chambers he'd shoved his father into without knocking. They were run down and rather damp, and Jareth had chosen them especially. As the High King he was used to grandeur and pandering, but Jareth had no time at all for that. No, stick him in the worst room in the place, that was Jareth's attitude.

"Son." The High King turned from what he was doing, eyeing his son up and down distastefully.

"Father." Jareth said, nodding his head in a poor imitation of a bow. "You wished to see me?"

"I know we haven't been close for the past few years." His father began, and Jareth scoffed.

"What, you mean the past _thousands_ of years? What gave it away, the bit where you constantly blamed me for Mother's death or the part where you exiled me?"

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit." He said witheringly. The High King possessed no sense of humour at all, and was widely known to be a miserable bastard.

"But it's just so fun." Jareth replied. "What do you want? I have things to do, I'm not sure if you've noticed but I'm getting married tomorrow."

"That's what I wished to discuss. This has gotten out of hand. I believed it was some kind of rebellion after being forced Above, but it looks increasingly like you're going through with it."

"That's because I am. She is my soulmate and I love her. Please don't pretend to take an interest in my life now, Father. It is embarrassing for both of us." Jareth said wearily. "I think she has beyond proven herself to be a remarkable woman. She is the reason my Kingdom still stands, she is the reason the Labyrinth is not dead."

"She is the reason it was dying in the first place. You let her win!" His father spat, face almost puce with fury. He was unlike Jareth in most ways; fat where Jareth was rail thin, rotund where Jareth was angular, soft where Jareth was pointy. Jareth took after his mother in almost every respect.

"She was supposed to win, it was in the damn prophecy." Jareth said irritably. "I went over all this with you last time I saw you. You reinstated me, you knew I was telling the truth. I suppose memory loss happens in old age. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

"There are laws against interfering with humans." His father said slowly. "I was willing to overlook them in the hope you would see your own foolishness, but as you continue with this farce, I may be forced to enforce them."

"Yes, there are laws." Jareth agreed pleasantly. "As she is no longer a human, and I was not under your jurisdiction when I claimed her as my intended, those laws no longer apply. To be honest, even if you did bring the law into play, what would you do? Exile us? I'd be happy to spend my days with Sarah beside me in the middle of the countryside. The fact is, you won't, because you know that things fall apart without me. Go on, Father. Tell me what your plan is, I could do with a good laugh."

"What do you mean she is no longer a human? You've turned her?" His father asked in a low voice, ignroing his son's taunting words. "You should have asked first."

"I didn't do it." Jareth admitted reluctantly. "I was planning on doing it before long, but this happened without me. I don't know how and I don't know why, but that is what has happened. Now, if we're finished, you interrupted me in the middle of something important."

"You have no respect for me at all, do you?" The High King demanded furiously, glaring at his only son. His face was so angry that Jareth actually laughed, which didn't much improve the situation.

"No." Jareth shrugged. "To be honest, I would have been quite content living Above with Sarah for the rest of my life. It was only the damn illness and pain that spoiled my fun. You made it quite clear you didn't care about me then, even when I came to you begging to be allowed home. I could have died and you wouldn't have given a toss about me. And now you demand my respect? I don't care if you're the High King, you can shove your opinion up your arse. See you tomorrow."

He stormed out of the room, letting the door slam satisfactorily behind him. He took a deep breath; telling his father exactly what he thought of him was a euphoria better than any drug. Jareth's smile was so wide it hurt his cheeks.

* * *

"Well?" Sarah asked, looking up from a book. She was sitting cross legged on the bed, wearing a loose fitting white dress that she must have changed into after he'd left. She was trying to dress a little more royally, and Jareth wasn't sure he liked it. He liked her normal clothes, he didn't want her to have to change who she was to fit in with other people's stupid idea of what royalty looked like.

"My father wasted my time, as expected." Jareth said irritably. "Nothing to say of any note. I should have stayed with you."

"Well, you're here now." Sarah said with a smile, closing her book and beckoning him over. He smiled, allowing her to pull him onto the bed by his hand. "I missed you."

"I was only gone for about ten minutes." Jareth laughed, taking a sharp breath as Sarah kissed his neck and busied herself unbuttoning his shirt. "You really are pleased to see me."

"I could say the same about you." Sarah replied, her eyes flicking downwards. "Now shut up and make love to me. I've been waiting for you."

"Demanding little thing." Jareth almost growled into her ear, hitching up the skirt of her dress. He ran a hand up her thigh, and raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not wearing any underwear."

"I thought I'd take a leaf out of your book." Sarah said, looking at him with a . "You're wasting time talking.."

"You've gotten terribly bold, haven't you? My wicked temptress."

"Enough with the talking." Sarah said again, pushing him down onto the bed. She straddled his hips, pressing against his crotch, watching with pleasure as he took his lip between his teeth to stop himself from groaning. "Now, do we do this with preamble, or just get straight to it?"

"I am entirely at your mercy love." He said with a grin, groaning as she rolled her hips against his.

He reached a hand up and pulled on the fabric of her dress, ripping the chest. She glared at him for a fleeting moment, before being thoroughly distracted by his mouth closing around her nipple. Without a word, she reached between them and pulled his trousers down. She stroked him lazily, watching through lidded eyes as he grabbed the bed sheets between his fingers. She lowered herself onto him, hissing with pleasure as he filled her. His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"I love you." He bit out through gritted teeth as she began rolling her hips slowly. "So much."

"I love you too." Sarah said rather shakily. She clasped his hand tightly, leaning down to kiss him kissed him slowly for several minutes, taunting him with her slow movements. He groaned against her lips, grabbing her shoulders and rolling her underneath him. He could no longer stand her teasing pace, almost slamming into her in his desperation to be close to her. She gasped, her legs wrapping around his waist.

A knock on the door startled her, and Jareth growled in frustration.

"Can nobody just leave me in peace?" He groaned into her ear, not stopping his ruthless pace.

"You're king, you have to deal with people." Sarah reasoned, although she was so close to finishing that the words were strung together and almost incoherant.

The tapping at the door continued, and Jareth snapped.

"If you dare to disturb me, you'll spend the rest of your life in the bog, I don't give a damn who you are!"

"Yes yer majesty." A voice came from the other side of the door, and Sarah pitied the poor goblin who'd dared to knock.

There were no more words, no more distractions, only heated groans as Jareth drove into her mercilessly, her screams of delight music to his ears. She tightened around him, sharp nails digging into his back as she moaned his name. He buried his face in her neck as he followed her over the edge.

"I'm pretty sure we should have waited until after the wedding." Sarah said after a while. They lay side by side, hands entwined, both breathing heavily.

"Why?" Jareth asked. "Why waste time? We're trying to have a baby, I'm taking it very seriously if you hadn't noticed."

"Oh, of course." Sarah said with a giggle. "The only reason you're sleeping with me is for our royal heir."

"Absolutely. Can't stand the bloody sight of you." He said teasingly, peppering her face with kisses.

* * *

The wedding was long and boring, and Jareth wished there was a royal equivalent of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, being Goblin King was rather more complicated than being plain old Jareth King, and needs must.

He looked over at Sarah, who was being crushed in a hug by Ludo. She had changed out of the dreary ceremonial robe and was wearing her purple gown, a golden tiara resting in her hair. She looked so beautiful, so happy, and he could hardly believe she was his wife. His Queen.

He must be the luckiest sod in the world, he thought with a smile. After all the mistakes he had made, she had forgiven him, and given him more love than he deserved. He would spend the rest of their lives striving to make her as happy as she made him.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about the wait. There'll be a little epilogue eventually (hopefully in the next couple of days but maybe not). I hope you enjoyed this one, I thought some lemons would round the story off nicely.  
**


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